Neuromarketing:

Insights into the Consumer Brain

and its Adaption to Brand
Management

Julian Rüschendorf

Bachelor's thesis

Business Administration
Turku, 2020
BACHELOR’S THESIS

Author: Julian Rüschendorf

Degree Program: Business Administration
Specialization: International Business
Supervisor(s): Hanna Guseff

Title: Neuromarketing – Insights into the Consumer Brain and its Adaption to Brand --
--…… Management
_________________________________________________________________________
Date: April 14, 2020 Number of pages: 65 Appendices: 3
_________________________________________________________________________

Abstract

A central task of marketing science is the research of consumer behavior. By investigating

the human black box, the consumer brain, the young discipline of neuroeconomics is
searching for answers to marketing relevant questions in order to explain the economically
relevant consumer behavior from a neurological perspective. This thesis is dealing with the
topic of the neuroeconomics subdiscipline neuromarketing and how to adapt the insights
gained to the field of brand management.

The aim of this thesis is to gain insights into the factors that influence consumer brand
perception through the acquisition of knowledge about the theoretical background of a
modern research area and to identify neuroscientific brand management concepts. Thereby
the questions how neuroeconomics could be applied to marketing, which factors influence
consumers in their decision making and how brand management could benefit from
neuromarketing are examined.

In order to answer the research questions, this paper will be divided into two parts, a
theoretical part and an empirical part. The theoretical framework is manly based on literature
research while for the empirical part insights are gained by conducting a qualitative case
study and implementing a quantitative survey.

The result of the thesis is the identification of application areas for neuroscientific methods
in the strategic brand management. By discussing the theoretical concepts and methods of
neuromarketing as well as by empirically investigating brand perception, especially the areas
of brand positioning, product management and brand communication could be identified as
potential application areas of neuromarketing in brand management.

_________________________________________________________________________
Language: English Key words: Neuroeconomics, Neuromarketing, Brand Management
_________________________________________________________________________
Table of contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................1
1.1 Purpose and limitations ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Research questions ............................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 2
1.4 Aims and goals......................................................................................................................................... 3
2 Introduction to neuroeconomics and neuromarketing.....................................4
2.1 Neuroscience ............................................................................................................................................ 4
2.2 Neuroeconomics ..................................................................................................................................... 4
2.3 Neuromarketing...................................................................................................................................... 5
2.4 Brands and brand management.................................................................................................... 6
3 Biological fundamentals...........................................................................................8
3.1 General structure of the human brain....................................................................................... 8
3.2 The neocortex........................................................................................................................................... 9
3.3 The limbic system ............................................................................................................................... 10
3.4 The brain stem and cerebellum ................................................................................................. 11
4 Research methods in neuromarketing............................................................... 12
4.1 Electrophysiological and imaging methods........................................................................ 12
4.1.1 Electroencephalography....................................................................................................... 12
4.1.2 Magnetoencephalography ................................................................................................... 12
4.1.3 Positron emission tomography ........................................................................................ 13
4.1.4 Functional magnetic resonance imaging .................................................................... 13
4.2 Implicit procedures ........................................................................................................................... 13
4.2.1 Electrodermal activity ............................................................................................................ 14
4.2.2 Eye-tracking.................................................................................................................................. 14
5 Neuroscientific insights ......................................................................................... 15
5.1 Motive and emotion systems ....................................................................................................... 15
5.1.1 The Balance system.................................................................................................................. 16
5.1.2 The Stimulant system ............................................................................................................. 16
5.1.3 The Dominance system.......................................................................................................... 16
5.1.4 Sexuality .......................................................................................................................................... 17
5.1.5 Limbic® Map ............................................................................................................................... 18
5.1.6 Limbic® Types............................................................................................................................ 19
5.2 The influence of the unconscious on human action....................................................... 20
5.2.1 Pilot and autopilot .................................................................................................................... 20
5.2.2 Priming and framing effect.................................................................................................. 21
5.2.3 Mirror neurons ........................................................................................................................... 21
 5.3 Codes - the four entrances to the consumer....................................................................... 22
5.3.1 Language......................................................................................................................................... 22
5.3.2 Story .................................................................................................................................................. 23
5.3.3 Symbolism ..................................................................................................................................... 24
5.3.4 Sensory ............................................................................................................................................ 24
5.3.5 Brand Code-ManagementTM................................................................................................ 25
5.4 Brand perception ................................................................................................................................ 25
6 Empirical studies on brand perception.............................................................. 27
6.1 Case study................................................................................................................................................ 27
6.1.1 Methodology................................................................................................................................. 28
6.1.2 Results .............................................................................................................................................. 29
6.1.3 Conclusion...................................................................................................................................... 38
6.2 Survey on brand perception......................................................................................................... 39
6.2.1 Methodology................................................................................................................................. 39
6.2.2 Results .............................................................................................................................................. 42
6.2.3 Conclusion...................................................................................................................................... 60
7 Possible applications of neuromarketing in strategic brand management 62
8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 64
8.1 Critical review ....................................................................................................................................... 64
8.2 Reflection ................................................................................................................................................. 66
References ........................................................................................................................ 67
Appendices ....................................................................................................................... 72
Table of Figures

Figure 1: Anatomy of the brain (Taub, 2016) .......................................................................................... 8

Figure 2: The human neocortex (Szymik, 2011) .................................................................................... 9
Figure 3: The limbic system (Lowen, 2019) .......................................................................................... 10
Figure 4: Limbic® Map displaying the motive- and emotionalsystems including their
sub-modules (Häusel & Gruppe Nymphenburg, 2020)................................................................... 18
Figure 5: Number of breweries in Germany until 2019 (Henrich, 2020) ............................ 27
Figure 6: Postioning of Radeberger, Veltins, Beck's and Erdinger based on the case
study (own compilation based on Wahid, 2019) ................................................................................ 38
Figure 7: Distribution of age of the test persons ................................................................................. 43
Figure 8: Distribution of profession of the test persons................................................................. 43
Figure 9: Breakdown of smoking test persons by selected characteristics ........................ 44
Figure 10: Breakdown of alcohol consuming test persons by selected characteristics
............................................................................................................................................................................................ 45
Figure 11: Breakdown of beer loving test persons by selected characteristics............... 46
Figure 12: Tested advertisements for brand identification (Scheier & Held, 2006, p.
37) .................................................................................................................................................................................... 47
Figure 13: Breakdown of test person by prior tested characteristics regarding the
identification of Beck's ........................................................................................................................................ 48
Figure 14: Breakdown of test person by prior tested characteristics r egarding the
identification of Milka .......................................................................................................................................... 49
Figure 15: Breakdown of test person by prior tested characteristics r egarding the
identification of Marlboro ................................................................................................................................. 50
Figure 16: Breakdown of test person by prior tested characteristics regarding the
identification of o2 ................................................................................................................................................. 52
Figure 17: Breakdown of the average identification rate by different characteristics of
the test persons........................................................................................................................................................ 52
Figure 18: Frequency of value selection according to influence on personal lifestyle of
the test persons and allocation of the values into the respective motive systems ........ 55
Figure 19: Average rank of the influence of the product features on the purchase
decision of the test persons .............................................................................................................................. 56
Figure 20: Resulting average score of each motive regarding the specific
advertisments ........................................................................................................................................................... 57
Figure 21: Postioning of Radeberger, Veltins, Beck's and Erdinger based on the case
study (own compilation based on Wahid, 2019)................................................................................ 57
Figure 22: Favored commercial by the test persons......................................................................... 59

Table of Tables

Table 1: Human capacity of conscious information processing (Scheier & Held, 2006,
p. 47).................................................................................................................................................................................. 7

Table 2: Distribution of tested characteristics among the test persons ............................... 44

List of Abbreviations

α Alpha significance level

AMA American Marketing Association

χ2 Chi-Square-Test

EDA Electrodermal activity

EEG Electroencephalography

e. g. For example

fMRI Functional magnetic resonance imaging

GmbH Limited liability company

i. e. That is

KG Limited partnership

MEG Magnetoencephalography

NMSBA Neuromarketing Science & Business Association

PET Positron emission tomography

% Percent

® Registered trademark

t T-Test

TM Trademark

TV Television
 1

1 Introduction
“Products are made in a factory, but brands are created in the mind”
— Walter Landor

The German brand designer Walter Landor was aware early of the positive influence of
popular brands on the perception of their products. During his career, he developed the
typefaces of many well-known brands, including the famous Coca-Cola font (Twemlow,
2004). Using Coca-Cola as an example, the influence of the brand name on the perception
of a product can be illustrated particularly well. In the 1970s and 1980s, experiments were
conducted in which a number of test persons made a choice between Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
In a blind test, the Pepsi brand was rated better by consumers than Coca-Cola. However,
when the two brands were visible to the test subjects, the preference clearly shifted towards
Coca-Cola. Researchers were able to demonstrate the influence of a positive brand image on
the perception of product features, in this case the taste of the cola. In 2002, a research team
replicated this test setup, this time using brain scanners. The result was the same as 30 years
earlier: in the blind test, the preference for Pepsi was initially determined at the neural level
as well. The images from the brain scanner showed that when drinking Pepsi, the reward
center was activated five times more than when drinking Coca-Cola. When the brand factor
was added to the experiment in the open test design, the same subjects who previously chose
the Pepsi brand now preferred the Coca-Cola brand at the neural level. For the first time, the
neuronal influence on product perception could be scientifically proven visually. At the same
time, this experiment marked the birth of a new research area – the neuroeconomics and
neuromarketing. (Felix, 2008, pp. 73-75)

This bachelor’s thesis connects the topic of neuromarketing with brand management. By
presenting the neuroscientific basics and research methods, examining the current theoretical
concepts of neuromarketing and conducting a case study and survey, it will be shown what
neuromarketing is about and how brand management could benefit from its findings.

1.1 Purpose and limitations

The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to investigate the fundamentals of neuromarketing

and how the knowledge gained can be applied in brand management. For this purpose, it will
be shown what neuroeconomics deals with, which research methods are used and what
theoretical concepts exist. Through the implementation of a case study and a survey, the
 2
insights gained from the theoretical part will be used to analyze four commercials and to
prove relevant theoretical neuroscientific factors influencing consumers perception within a
practical frame. The findings derived from theory and empiricism should ultimately make it
possible to identify potential applications of neuromarketing in brand management.

Accordingly, this thesis is limited to the topics of neuromarketing and brand management
only. Other application areas of neuroeconomics will not be further investigated . Moreover,
the empirical part is limited to the German-speaking market as neuromarketing is a very
German scientific research field. Therefore, four commercials of different German
companies within an industry advertising a similar product will be analyzed and a survey
will be implemented in German as well.

1.2 Research questions

According to the purpose of the thesis the following research questions arise, which are
answered in this academic paper:

• How can the insights of neuroeconomics be applied to marketing?

• Which factors influence consumers in their decision making from a neuromarketing

perspective?

• How can brand management benefit from neuromarketing?

1.3 Methodology

In order to answer the research questions, this paper will be divided into two parts, a
theoretical part and an empirical part. This separation should allow relevant theories from
the first part to be tested in a realistic environment during the second part.

For the theory part, methodologically literature research is mainly used. This enables the
elaboration of basics, backgrounds and relevant theories of neuroeconomics and
neuromarketing. The basis of the literature research are specialized textbooks, scientific
articles, publications, relevant websites and existing academic papers.

For the empirical part, a comparative case study is conducted, and a survey is developed,
implemented and statistically evaluated within the framework of an empirical quantitative
and qualitative study. This makes it possible to verify or disprove theoretical concepts, to
 3
draw conclusions about important neuroscientific factors regarding brand perception and to
adapt the gained results to brand management later on.

1.4 Aims and goals

The aim of this thesis is to gain insights of the factors that influence consumer brand
perception through the acquisition of knowledge about the theoretical background of a
modern research area and the practical implementation of a case study and a survey.
Furthermore, this work aims to identify neuroscientific brand management concepts in order
to provide own products a competitive advantage on a marketing base. The insights gained
this way should enable to react to the growing competition and the resulting rivalry for
potential customers in later professional life and to adapt the marketing structures of the
employer accordingly to the needs of the customers. Besides the acquisition and deepening
of marketing relevant knowledge, the acquirement of new skills is a major goal. These
include the method-based implementation and statistical evaluation of surveys, scientific
writing of papers and in-depth literature research of relevant sources. The acquisition and
deepening of these skills should make it possible to act successfully in the further academic
career.
 4

2 Introduction to neuroeconomics and neuromarketing

Business administration traditionally deals with fundamentals, explanations and concepts for
the concrete regulation and optimization of decision-making processes within a company.
Thereby, scientific findings of economics, philosophy, sociology and psychology are
repeatedly integrated. Since the beginning of the 21st century, business administration has
also increasingly implemented concepts and techniques from the neurosciences in business
management considerations and decision-making processes. In particular, the role of
emotions and feelings is receiving increasing attention. The result of this development was
the emergence of a new field of economic research - neuroeconomics. (Raab, et al., 2009, p.
1)

In the following chapter, a fundamental knowledge will be conveyed by defining and

delimiting relevant terms, which contributes to a better understanding of the topic of
neuroeconomics and its subdiscipline neuromarketing. Thus, a deeper immersion into the
matter is facilitated.

2.1 Neuroscience

The term neuroscience is used to summarize and interpret integrative studies on the structure
and function of nervous systems. This interdisciplinary field of research represents the
interface between different biological, medical and psychological disciplines with the aim
of understanding neuronal functions at all levels of complexity by merging the individual
approaches (Pickenhain, 2000). By carrying out so-called imaging procedures,
neuroscientific research makes it possible, among other things, to localize, analyze and
explain the development of thoughts, emotions and feelings in the brain. In order to
economically transform these findings and make them usable, the field of neuroeconomics
has been established. (Raab, et al., 2009, pp. 2-3)

2.2 Neuroeconomics

Neuroeconomics is dedicated to the description and explanation of human behavior in the

context of economically relevant decision-making processes by applying various
neuroscientific methods. By interweaving perspectives from the humanities and natural
sciences, researchers aim to answer economic questions relating to behavior, consumption
and investment and, based on this, to develop new business concepts. In this context, the
focus is on affective neural processes such as activation, involvement, emotions, motives,
 5
attitudes and values on the one hand, and cognitive processes of perception, learning,
thinking, as well as judgment and decision-making on the other. (Reimann & Weber, 2011,
pp. 5-6)

By further developing the new approaches, neuroeconomics transforms the hitherto

dominant and rigid theoretical-economic model of the homo oeconomicus, in which all
decisions are made completely rationally (Gillenkirch, et al., 2018), into the new model of
the homo vivens by illuminating the importance of emotions and feelings in the decision-
making process. Ultimately, the goal of neuroeconomics is to explore the background of
these phenomena and to apply the findings in the context of issues of classical economic
disciplines, and thus to contribute to the optimization of existing processes. Due to the
resulting multiple applications of neuroeconomics, it can be divided into different
application-oriented subdisciplines such as neurofinance, neuroleadership or
neuromarketing. (Raab, et al., 2009, p. 4)

2.3 Neuromarketing

Hence, neuromarketing deals with the application of research results of neuroeconomics in

traditional marketing. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), marketing
comprises “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating,
delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and
society at large”. (Jaworski, et al., 2017) In neuromarketing, the insights gained by using
instrumental brain research methods for market research purposes are integrated into
marketing theory and practice in order to acquire a better understanding of the consumer's
brain. This enables companies to adjust their own products and services more effectively to
the consumer behavior and brand perception of potential customers and thereby encourage
them to purchase. (Häusel, 2012, pp. 13-14)

The Neuromarketing Science & Business Association (NMSBA) pursues a more scientific
and research-oriented approach and defines neuromarketing as brain research “to reveal
subconscious consumer decision-making processes. Neuromarketers study brain- and
biometric responses, as well as behavior, to understand and shape how consumers feel, think
and act” (Neuromarketing Science and Business Association, n.d.) and the neuromarketing
research as “systematic collection and interpretation of neurological and neurophysiological
insights about individuals using different protocols allowing researchers to explore non-
 6
verbal and physiological responses to various stimuli for the purposes of market research.”
(Neuromarketing Science and Business Association, n.d.)

This discrepancy shows the lack of a uniform definition of neuromarketing and, depending
on the perspective, that this area is assigned either to marketing or to neuroscience. However,
the consensus is that neuromarketing should not be seen as a revolution that tears down
existing concepts. Rather, this branch should be understood as a new perspective and
verification process that develops existing concepts by using scientific methods. (Gentner,
2012, p. 6) Even if research makes it possible to better understand the background of the
customer's decision-making process, this development will not lead to transparent
consumers as frequently feared. It is also proven that the existence of a universal buy button
is not possible due to the complexity of the brain and individual experiences and preferences.
Nevertheless, there are many small buy buttons, a thousand small levers and pressure points
that help to anchor one's own brand in the consumer's mind. (Häusel, 2012, p. 18)

Corresponding tests and studies were able to identify various buy bottoms and implement
the findings in the economy. Due to its proven effectiveness, neuromarketing experienced a
real surge in popularity in the new millennium. If the Google search in 2001 did not yield a
single hit with regard to the term “neuromarketing”, in 2012 there were about 400,000 result
and today, 11th April 2020, this number has risen to 4,230,000 (Google, 2020). This shows
the enormous interest in this new branch of research, especially in the field of brand
management. (Häusel, 2012, p. 12)

2.4 Brands and brand management

According to AMA, a brand is “a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that
identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers” and “an
intangible asset that is intended to create distinctive images and associations in the minds of
stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefit/values”. (Jaworski, et al., 2017)
According to Alina Wheeler, brands have three main functions: navigation, reassurance and
engagement. Brands help consumers to choose from a variety of options, communicate the
quality of the product or service, and use distinctive images, language and associations to
promote customer identification with the brand. (Wheeler, 2018, p. 2)

The task of brand management is to manage and optimize the values of the brand and thus
increase the perceived value of a product line or brand over time. Effective brand
management allows you to increase the price of products and to build loyal customers
 7
through positive brand associations and brand images or a strong brand awareness. (Grant,
2019) Accordingly, brand management is expected to create preferences for the company's
offering, thereby differentiating it from competing products. This requires the development
of a strategic plan and a comprehensive understanding of the brand, the target market and
the overall vision of the company. (Burmann, et al., 2017, p. 3)

Brand managers are now facing the problems of interchangeability and stimulus satiation.
The general quality and design of comparable products is getting very close and makes
product differentiation increasingly difficult. Accordingly, Stiftung Warentest rated 85% of
the products sold in Germany as good. In addition, consumers are exposed to an average of
more than 3000 advertisements per day, with 95% of the advertising being perceived
unconsciously. (Scheier & Held, 2018, p. 19)

Table 1: Human capacity of conscious information processing (Scheier & Held, 2006, p. 47)

Sensory organ Sensory Bandwidth Bandwidth of consciousness Ratio

(bits per second) (bits per second) (in %)

Eye 10.000.000 40 0.000004

Ear 100.000 30 0.0003

Skin 1.000.000 5 0.000005

In general, as shown in Table 1, we see ourselves exposed to 10,000,000 bits of visual

information per second, whereby humans can consciously process only 40 bits per second,
which corresponds to a ratio of 0.000004%. Against this background, brand managers are
now consulting neuromarketing in order to anchor their own product in the consumer's
memory and gain a competitive advantage in the face of sensory overload and growing
competition. Neuromarketing, in turn, investigates which factors attract the attention of the
customer so that they buy a product, how companies can convey their message
subconsciously and which brain areas generally respond to the messages. (Scheier & Held,
2006, pp. 47-51)
 8

3 Biological fundamentals
In order to understand and interpret the research methods and the knowledge gained, it is
essential to deal with the structure and functions of the human brain. The f ollowing chapter
briefly outlines the general structure of the brain in order to take a closer look at the brain
areas relevant for neuromarketing in the further course.

3.1 General structure of the human brain

The human brain can generally be divided into three areas - forebrain, midbrain and
hindbrain - and is composed of nerve cells, neurons and glial cells. A general overview about
the brain can be seen in Figure 1. As part of the central nervous system, its main functions
are information processing, the control of emotions, learning and memory. In an average
human brain, there are approximately 100 billion nerve cells, which are linked by synapses
and transmit as well as process feelings, stimuli and external impressions. Each nerve cell
can contain up to 15,000 synapses as contact points, which corresponds to a total of 100
trillion contact points. (Felix, 2008, p. 10)

Figure 1: Anatomy of the brain (Taub, 2016)

The exchange between the individual nerve cells is regulated by electrical impulses, caused
by neuronal charge differences. These charge differences are caused by a redistribution of
positively and negatively charged ions such as chloride, potassium and sodium. (Raab, et al.,
2009, p. 48 et seq.) Neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, glutamate or adrenaline play
 9
an important role in this transmission of stimuli. Neurotransmitters act as messengers in the
brain and control human emotions. (Raab, et al., 2009, p. 65 et seq.)

The brain is a highly complex structure in which all areas are interrelated and interact. As a
consequence, no information processing takes place independently of other processes in the
brain. (Felix, 2008, p. 10) Even though the human brain represents only 2% of the body
surface, it is responsible for 20% of the energy demand. Only 20% of all brain activities are
conscious, 80% are unconscious. (Roth, 2013, p. 4) This fact plays a decisive role in
neuromarketing. Although almost all areas of the brain have an influence on people's
decision-making, the so-called triune brain, consisting of the neocortex, the limbic system
as well as the cerebellum and brain stem, should be highlighted. (Farley, 2008)

3.2 The neocortex

The neocortex, shown in Figure 2, is the youngest and largest part of the human brain. It
accounts for about 85% of the total brain mass and can be roughly divided into 4 areas:
Frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe and occipital lobe. Of particular importance for
neuromarketing is the prefrontal cortex. (Raab, et al., 2009, p. 102)

Figure 2: The human neocortex (Szymik, 2011)

The prefrontal cortex comprises the majority of the frontal lobe and is considered the seat of
consciousness and personality. (Hundschell, 2011, pp. 14-15) It is repeatedly mentioned in
connection with life experience, consequences, attention, reflection, decision and planning,
and acts as the director of the brain and as the interface between the will and the translation
of the will into concrete action. (Häusel, 2012, pp. 249-250) Thus, the prefrontal cortex is
the most important area of the cerebrum when it comes to making purchasing decisions. The
areas behind the frontal praise, the premotor cortex and the motor cortex, translate the
decisions into concrete actions. (Häusel, 2012, pp. 245-247) The other functional units of
 10
the neocortex, parietal lobe, temporal lobe and occipital lobe, are responsible for
multisensory perception: Visual stimuli, auditory perception, skin sensations and sensations
from inside the body are ultimately combined in the temporal cortex to form a holistic
picture. (Bielefeld, 2012, pp. 59-61) The prefrontal cortex functions as a kind of interface
that retrieves information from different areas of the brain to assess new situations. The
most important information from a neuromarketing perspective is obtained from the limbic
system. (Strang, 2009, pp. 26-27)

3.3 The limbic system

The limbic system is often described as the emotional center of the human being and is
regarded as the power and decision-making center in the head. It is located partly in the
cerebrum and partly in the diencephalon and plays a central role in neuromarketing. (Häusel,
2012, p. 251) It is regarded as an association system that processes information from the
human environment, emotional stimuli and memories and converts them into targeted
purchasing and consumption wishes. The most important areas from a neuromarketing
perspective, shown in Figure 3, are the hypothalamus, the amygdala, the hippocampus and
the nucleus accumbens. (Raab, et al., 2009, p. 170)

Figure 3: The limbic system (Lowen, 2019)

The hippocampus is the learning center, which links object, location and situation
characteristics with emotional meaning and stores them at different locations in the
neocortex and retrieves them from there when required. The amygdala is significantly
involved in the emotional evaluation of objects and is an important part of all major
emotional systems such as dominance, stimulus, fear or sexuality. The hypothalamus
translates the evaluation of e.g. the amygdala into physical reactions by initiating the release
 11
of neurotransmitters and hormones and is the center of vital needs (hunger, sleep, thirst, sex).
(Häusel, 2012, pp. 251-252)

Although the Nucleus accumbens is not localized in the limbic system, it is also often
considered to be part of it. By translating motivation and emotion into action, it is an
important part of the reward system, a complex network of the prefrontal cortex and the
limbic system. The nucleus accumbens and thus the reward center is activated as soon as a
stimulus is classified as a pleasurable reward and causes a targeted action by the person to
satisfy the need that has arisen. If the action is successful and the need is satisfied, the person
experiences a feeling of reward and satisfaction through the release of the happiness
hormones endorphin and dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. (Raab, et al., 2009, pp. 148-
152) Since the observation of its activity provides conclusions about the circumstances under
which the human reward system is activated, the nucleus accumbens is a very interesting
research object in neuromarketing.

3.4 The brain stem and cerebellum

The brain stem, along with the cerebellum is also known as the reptilian brain and is the
oldest part of the human brain. It consists of the midbrain, the pons and the medulla
oblongata. (Jackson, 2008, pp. 6-7)

The brain stem connects and processes incoming sensory impressions and outgoing motor
information and is also responsible for elementary and reflex-like control mechanisms, e.g.
eyelid closure, swallowing, or coughing reflex. The nerve pathways of the two halves of the
body cross in the hindbrain, where many automatic processes such as heartbeat, breathing,
metabolism or sleep rhythm are controlled. The function of the brain stem is accordingly the
control of the vital, instinctive systems of the body such as breathing, heartbeat, food intake,
escape. (Raab, et al., 2009, pp. 96-98)

The cerebellum accounts for about 10% of the total brain mass and is responsible for the
control of motor function, balance, movements and their coordination. In addition to
automated movement sequences, the cerebellum is also attributed a function in unconscious
learning. The reptilian brain ensures our survival and instinctively makes the final decisions.
This part of the brain therefore judges complicated correlations negatively. Neuroscientists
are mainly interested in the unconsciously induced actions of the brain stem and cerebellum
in response to products and services, which are therefore investigated using a wide variety
of research methods. (Raab, et al., 2009, pp. 97-98)
 12

4 Research methods in neuromarketing

Nowadays, brain research can distinguish between various technical methods which make it
possible to investigate unconscious behavior and to graphically display the emotional
activities of individual nerve cells as well as the brain as a whole. (Pispers & Dabrowski,
2011, p. 61) In the following, some of the measurement methods commonly used in
neuromarketing are briefly introduced. A distinction is made between methods based on
brain activity, the imaging and electrophysiological methods, and the implicit methods,
which do not directly measure brain activity.

4.1 Electrophysiological and imaging methods

Imaging methods are diagnostic procedures that provide two- or three-dimensional images
of functional brain structures by measuring neuronal metabolic processes. The most
important imaging methods in neuromarketing, also known as “neuroimaging” (Pritzel, et
al., 2003, pp. 117-118), are positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI). Electrophysiological methods, on the other hand, measure
electrical brain activity and represent it in the form of curves and waves, which is why these
methods are also referred to as “neuromonitoring” (Pritzel, et al., 2003, pp. 111-112). The
most important electrophysiological methods are electroencephalography (EEG) and
magnetoencephalography (MEG). (Felix, 2008, pp. 46-50)

4.1.1 Electroencephalography

The EEG uses surface electrodes on the skullcap to record voltage fluctuations on the head
surface in order to measure summed electrical activity of the brain. Depending on where in
the brain the neurons are located, the potentials of these neurons add up, so that potential
changes can be visualized on the entire head. The advantage of this investigation is the
temporal accuracy and the associated measurability of neuronal activity. (Nufer &
Wallmeier, 2010, p. 8) The disadvantage is an insufficient spatial resolution and localization
of the activities. (Felix, 2008, p. 48)

4.1.2 Magnetoencephalography

Inside the neurons there are electrical processes that produce a so-called biomagnetism. The
MEG can be used to measure and localize these magnetic activities. The changes in the
magnetic fields, which run parallel to the brain surface, can thus be displayed spatially deep
 13
and very accurately. This method provides a good overview of the temporal structure of the
activities and chemical processes in the neocortex. When performing a MEG examination,
it should be noted that any muscular activity, such as eye movement, generates a relatively
large magnetic signal that can influence the result. (Raab, et al., 2009, pp. 182-183)

4.1.3 Positron emission tomography

In PET, the test person is injected with a weakly radioactive contrast medium which is
transported to the brain via the bloodstream. Here it accumulates in brain regions with
particularly active metabolism. Meanwhile, the test person lies in a PET scanner, which
records the areas with increased activity and displays them three-dimensionally on a
computer. This procedure provides a very high spatial resolution and localization of relevant
brain areas but is the most cost-intensive method and may be harmful to health due to the
low radiation exposure. Thus, this method is rarely used in marketing practice. (Felix, 2008,
p. 54)

4.1.4 Functional magnetic resonance imaging

As with PET, the basis of fMRI is the regional change in blood flow in the brain. For this
method, test persons are placed in a magnetic resonance tomograph in which they are shown
visual stimuli. If a brain area is activated, it requires more oxygen and glucose at this point
and the red blood cells supply the oxygen there. This leads to a disturbance of the biological
magnetic field at the corresponding location, which is related to the different magnetic
charges of oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich blood. A computer converts the received measured
values into a spatial image. This enables neuroscientists to identify the areas of the brain that
have been affected by the visual stimuli and the corresponding intensity of activation. The
fMRI is the most popular method in neuromarketing as it provides a very accurate
representation of brain activity and has no harmful side effects. Disadvantages are high costs
and the fact that external stimuli always activate several brain regions whose interaction has
not yet been fully clarified, which can lead to misinterpretations. (Felix, 2008, pp. 52-53)

4.2 Implicit procedures

In recent years, implicit methods of market research such as eye-tracking or electrodermal

activity (EDA) have also gained increasing importance. This research approach focuses on
the unconscious influences on the decision-making processes of humans (Nufer &
Wallmeier, 2010, p. 26) and does not observe brain activity, but rather measures emotional
 14
and motor responses to an external stimulus. Due to their relatively low cost, both methods
are frequently used in economics and provide indications regarding attention, focus and
emotional excitement of the proband. However, they do not provide information about the
activated brain areas and the related reason for the reaction shown. (Pispers, et al., 2018, pp.
69-78)

4.2.1 Electrodermal activity

EDA is a method for measuring the activation of the autonomic nervous system. If it is
activated by external stimuli, the autonomic nervous system produces more perspiration,
which has an influence on skin conductivity. EDA measures the fluctuations of the
conductivity with electrodes attached to the hand and is a good indicator of emotional
fluctuation. (Pispers, et al., 2018, pp. 69-72)

4.2.2 Eye-tracking

Eye-tracking uses technical instruments to record the eye movement of a test person and thus
tests the focus and shift of attention. Not only the eye movements are measured, but also the
change in pupil diameter, which provides information about how interesting visual stimuli
are for the test person. This method is often used in the design of products and websites.
(Pispers, et al., 2018, pp. 76-78)
 15

5 Neuroscientific insights
In the previous chapters, the biological fundamentals and research methods were examined,
and it was illustrated that all decisions are influenced by emotions. All information
converges in the brain and the newly received stimuli are linked to already existing
emotional information and processed further. In the following chapter, the insights gained
through neuroscientific research are transformed into economic concepts.

5.1 Motive and emotion systems

In brand management, it is essential for companies to know precisely their target group and
their needs in order to guarantee a targeted sale of their own products. According to
neuroscientific findings, the motivational and emotional systems of the human brain have a
decisive influence on the needs and related purchasing decisions of consumers (Strang, 2009,
p. 49 et seq.). The terms motive and emotion are closely linked but cannot be used
synonymously. While emotions represent reactions to certain stimuli from a neuroscientific
perspective, motives describe the concrete implementation of the emotion systems in daily
life (Häusel, 2016, p. 37). Emotion systems thus define the behavioral, evaluation and goal
frameworks of people, while motive systems concretize the orientation of space, time and
objects. In interaction, the two systems significantly shape the human personality, making
them of central importance in target group segmentation and the analysis of the relevance of
brands and products within the respective audiences. (Häusel, 2012, p. 76)

Based on the Zurich Model of Social Motivation, in which the German psychologist Norbert
Bischof identifies three basic systems in humans - the striving for security and safety
(security system), the striving for variety and novelty (excitement system) and the striving
for independence and assertiveness (autonomy system) (Scheier & Held, 2012, pp. 107-110)
- the German psychologist and neuromarketing expert Dr. Hans-Georg Häusel develops the
concept The Big 3 by adding emotions and influences from neuromarketing. At the center
of all motivational and emotional systems are physiological vital needs such as food, sleep
and breathing. In addition, there are three major motivational and emotional systems: the
balance system, the stimulant system and the dominance system, each supplemented by
respective emotional sub-modules. Depending on the characteristics of the individual
modules, consumers are more or less accessible to certain products. (Häusel, 2012, pp. 77-
78)
 16
5.1.1 The Balance system

The Balance system has the greatest influence on human actions and regulates the needs for
harmony, balance, stability and security. In order to get by with as little energy as possible,
the Balance system prefers to fall back on decisions which have already been made in the
past and which have been connected to positive emotions in memory. The resulting situation
of perceived security rewards the person with a feeling of safety and avoids the opposing
feelings of insecurity and fear. The Balance System is complemented by the two sub-
modules Bonding and Care. The primary goal of the bonding module and the care module
is to ensure the survival of the offspring. The bonding module is particularly important for
babies who cannot ensure their own survival and react accordingly with crying and fear when
their bonding person, often the mother, is not within reach. The care module, on the other
hand, provides a double safeguard by releasing the hormone estrogen, is particularly active
with mothers and reacts very sensitively to the crying of the offspring or the needs of pets.
Products and industries that particularly appeal to these emotion and motivational systems
include insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, alarm systems, doctors or baby and pet f ood.
(Häusel, 2016, pp. 40-43)

5.1.2 The Stimulant system

The Stimulant system regulates the desire for new, unknown stimuli and experiences, such
as foreign food, holiday trips or unusual activities. It awakens the need to discover and
explore one's environment and to stand out from the crowd. By releasing the
neurotransmitters endorphin and dopamine, the customer experiences the fulfilment of these
wishes as fun and excitement, the non-fulfilment as boredom. Mankind owes its new
inventions and trends to researchers who were driven by the stimulant system and the
curiosity associated with it. This system is complemented by the sub-module Game, which
is particularly active with children, as they develop their mental and motor skills through
play. Brands and products that appeal to the stimulation system can be found in all areas of
entertainment, such as cinema, culture, television and concerts, but also in the travel
industry, gastronomy, as well as with toys, gaming, stimulants and gambling. (Häusel, 2016,
pp. 43-44)

5.1.3 The Dominance system

The last of the three systems, the Dominance system, makes people strive for power,
superiority, success, autonomy, status and control. From an evolutionary point of view, it
 17
drives people to surpass their competitors in the fight for resources and sexual partners, to
pass on their own genes to the next generation and to expand their own territory. By the
fulfilment of its orders humans experience pride, a feeling of victory and superiority, when
not being fulfilled they react with anger, rage and inner restlessness. Thus, the system of
dominance functions as a motor of progress, since the inner drive of success and power fuels
interpersonal competition, the result of which are innovations such as electricity, cars or
antibiotics. Associated sub-modules are the Hunting module and the Tussling module. Both
modules have a playful as well as an aggressive component, whereby the hunting module is
more active with adults, especially during actual hunting, fishing or shopping, and the
tussling module is more active with boys, who train their physical and fighting skills in a
playful way by tussling. By releasing the hormone testosterone and the neurotransmitters
dopamine and adrenaline, these modules regulate human behavior. Brands and products that
stimulate the dominance system are mainly status symbols, elite events, sports competitions
and sporting events as well as products, systems and services that increase one's own
strength, speed, performance and efficiency, such as sports equipment, performance-
enhancing preparations or cars. (Häusel, 2016, pp. 45-47)

5.1.4 Sexuality

The emotional and motivational system of sexuality holds a special position and is of similar
importance for brand management as the Big 3. According to Häusel, during evolution
sexuality has integrated into the three existing systems and thus plays a major role in all
systems. The sexuality system is mainly driven by the sex hormones estrogen and
testosterone. Due to the unequal distribution of the concentration of these hormones in men
and women, female sexuality is more likely to be assigned to the balance system and male
sexuality more to the dominance system, which has been shown to have an effect on the
differentiated consumer behavior of both sexes. In the balance system, the sexuality module
contributes to partner bonding, while in the dominance system it provides the impetus for
the displacement of other potential competitors with regard to the sexual partner. Both sexes
have the same sexuality in the stimulus system, which makes the sexual act fun and
strengthens the attention towards the partner. Accordingly, sexuality also occupies a central
place in his presentation of the Limbic® Map. (Häusel, 2016, pp. 47-48)
 18
5.1.5 Limbic® Map

Häusel represents the emotional systems and their inner dynamics in the so-called Limbic®
Map, whose name is derived from the limbic system, the seat of emotions in the brain. The
map provides a framework for identifying the values and emotions that have the strongest
resonance within the relevant target group. (Häusel, 2016, p. 52)

Figure 4: Limbic® Map displaying the motive- and emotionalsystems including their sub-modules (Häusel
& Gruppe Nymphenburg, 2020)

The Big 3 as well as the corresponding submodules act as the basic framework of the
visualization, shown in Figure 4. Due to the parallel activity of the motive systems these are
supplemented by the mixed forms of the Big 3: Adventure/Thrill, the mixed form of the
Stimulant and the Dominance system, Discipline/Control, the mixed form of Dominance
and Balance as well as Fantasy/Pleasure, the mixed form of the Balance and Stimulant
system. Adventure/Thrill combines the desire to outgrow oneself with the desire to discover
new things. discipline/control symbolizes the desire for constancy and predictability
combined with one's own sovereignty and self-control. Fantasy/Pleasure reflects the passive
search for new things. Actively taking the initiative turns into letting things come to oneself.
As a last step, values often used in marketing are added to the card and assigned to the system
to which this motive appeals. The combination of a consumer's values and the positioning
on the card provides information about the personality of the consumer and enables a
practical typification and identification of their emotional focus. (Häusel, 2016, pp. 52-55)
 19
5.1.6 Limbic® Types

Assuming that the personality of the consumer consists of a mix of different strengths of the
Big 3 and its sub-modules, then a large number of different customer types, the so-called
Limbic® Types, result (Häusel, 2012, pp. 86-87). According to Häusel, a distinction is made
between the following types:

• Harmonizer: The supremacy of the Balance system coupled with a stronger

emphasis on the care and bonding system. Characterized by low ascent and status
orientation. Home and family are of high importance, therefore products for family
and home are in the focus of consumption.

• Connoisseurs: slight supremacy of the Stimulant system and, as a result, a positive

attitude to life and prioritization of known and new pleasures and experiences. Due
to an additionally relatively high Balance proportion, attention is paid to the quality
and origin of the products.

• Hedonist: Supremacy of the Stimulant system, therefore always looking for

something new. Characterized by high individualism and high spontaneity. Quality
plays a minor role; products should be much more extraordinary and novel.

• Adventurer: Supremacy of the Stimulus system, but with a combative component

due to the Dominance system. Characterized by a high willingness to take risks and
low impulse control. Consumption is all about fun and excitement, the products must
be liberating or performance-enhancing.

• Performer: Supremacy of the Dominance system. Characterized by high

performance orientation and ambition, prioritizes products that promise high quality
and perfection and are regarded as status symbols.

• Disciplined: High influence of the Dominance system combined with a rather

pessimistic attitude due to the Balance system. Characterized by a high sense of duty
and low consumerism, only that which is really needed is bought. Quality and
guarantee aspects play a major role, but thriftiness is also one of the highest virtues.

• Traditionalist: Supremacy of the Balance system, therefore somewhat fearful and

cautious of new things. Characterized by a low future orientation and a strong desire
 20
for order and security. Checks everything very carefully and has relatively rigid
consumer habits, brands have a security and trust function.

The typification of customer target groups allows brand managers to formulate specific
strategy recommendations for marketing communication and to analyze the target group
before the launch as well as to adapt the products to it. The Limbic® Map and the Limbic®
Types thus offer marketing managers a unified platform for identifying emotions, motives
and values. This platform can be used to structure markets, formulate target groups and
improve TV spots, packaging and advertising copy. Furthermore, the Limbic® Map and the
Limbic® Types enable analysts to position products on the map based on their presentation,
communication and advertising and to identify target customers. From the brand manager's
perspective, it is important to define their target group and to market the products according
to their needs and preferred values. It is possible to activate the consumers' emotional and
motivational systems in a targeted manner and to induce them unconsciously to make a
purchase. (Häusel, 2012, p. 94)

5.2 The influence of the unconscious on human action

As already mentioned in 2.4 Brands and brand management, a large part of the recordings
of external stimuli are made in the unconscious. According to this, a person can only
consciously perceive less than 1% of all stimuli affecting him. Most decisions and human
thought processes also take place subconsciously. If people are asked after their purchase
why they have decided for that product, each respondent would have an explanation and
would claim that they have consciously decided for the product (Nufer & Wallmeier, 2010,
p. 14). In reality, however, 95% of all human decisions are made unconsciously while only
5% are conscious. (Raab, et al., 2009, p. 17)

5.2.1 Pilot and autopilot

In neuromarketing, two systems have become established in connection with decision-

making and behavior: the implicit system of the autopilot, which represents the
subconscious, and the explicit system of the pilot, which represents the consciousness. The
five senses provide people with up to 11 million bits of information every second, but they
are only able to consciously process 40 bits. The pilot processes the conscious 40 bits while
the autopilot processes the remaining unconscious 10,999,960 bits (Felix, 2008, p. 2). The
autopilot works highly efficiently and subconsciously processes emotions, cognitive
 21
processes, automatisms and brand associations. All the complicated processes that have to
be reflected, analyzed and calculated, however, are handled by the pilot. When processing
the stimuli, the two systems use different neural structures and can thus gain and store
different impressions of products and brands (Häusel, 2012, pp. 104-106). To save energy,
the brain tries to automate as many processes as possible, since the implicit system uses less
energy. Therefore, most decisions are made subconsciously. If a brand or a product is linked
to positive experiences, the autopilot always tends towards them. (Felix, 2008, pp. 19-20)

5.2.2 Priming and framing effect

The priming and framing effects deal with the effect of unconscious influence. The body
reacts to implicit, subtle signals and makes people do things that they would otherwise not
have done or would have done differently. Priming describes the triggering of behavioral
programs based on the unconscious activation of associations in our memory by subtle
stimuli. These findings indicate that subliminal perception has a greater influence on
behavior than people are aware of. It is shown that people are controlled by implicit and
subtle signals while they are unaware of them. A factor that is mainly used in Marketing &
Sales. For example, supermarkets can specifically increase sales of certain products by
playing particular background music or by adding fragrances to the ventilation system.
(Raab, et al., 2009, pp. 223-224)

The framing effect implies that consumers' decisions depend heavily on the decision-making
framework and the presentation of the basis for the decision. This means that people are
unconsciously influenced by external circumstances and do not react rationally. Customers
tend to prefer the dairy product which is 80% fat free according to the label compared to the
20% fat product although both products have the same fat content. Customers also prefer
more expensive products with a discount label, even if there are cheaper alternatives at a
regular price. (Raab, et al., 2009, pp. 224-225)

5.2.3 Mirror neurons

Mirror neurons form the neurobiological basis for intuitive perception and understanding
and are special cells in the brain that allow people to feel, simulate or actually experience an
observed situation themselves. Accordingly, mirror neurons make it possible to perceive
what other people feel by a spontaneous inner simulation. The process mediated that way
runs automatically and unconsciously and, due to the efficiency of the mirror neurons, works
even with minimal attention. If, for example, a sip of cold water is drunk in an advertisement,
 22
the same brain areas are activated in the viewer that are activated when drinking. As a result,
the viewer feels the sensation of freshness or senses thirst. For brand managers, it is therefore
crucial to stage the products in such a way that customers can experience what happens. This
requires above all the use of so-called codes. (Scheier & Held, 2012, pp. 49-50)

5.3 Codes - the four entrances to the consumer

The storage or encoding of memories are inseparably linked to their retrievability. During
the encoding process, everything we see, hear, smell, taste or touch is transferred to our brain
cells as engrams. The resulting traces left in the brain by the imprint of a stimulus or an
experience enable them to be reproduced at a later time. How an absorbed stimulus is
encoded depends on the context in which we remember it. (Zaltman, 2003, p. 174)

In order to achieve long-term storage of product information by consumers, not only unique
product features are required, but above all the emotional bond of the customer. For this
purpose, four codes, specific carriers of meaning in communication, are used, which act as
carriers of explicit or implicit messages (Gentner, 2012, p. 21):

• Language: Words, names, associations

• Story: Episodes, stories

• Symbols: Faces, protagonists, brand symbols, locations

• Sensorics: Colors, shapes, sounds, haptics, lighting and scents

These codes are considered to be the real drivers of sales, as they are automatically processed
by the autopilot, creating associations that can be called up at the point of sale. Thus, they
create a bridge between product and customer and close the gap between strategy and
execution in brand communication. (Scheier & Held, 2012, p. 173)

5.3.1 Language

Linguistically, a company can reach the customer through the spoken word or the written
form. Language can convey messages explicitly, i.e. through the meaning of the words, or
implicitly, i.e. through diction, rhythm, national language and the sound of the voice.
Different letters subconsciously convey different associations through their sound. In
linguistic usage the letters M, L and U sound smooth and gentle, while K, T and E sound
 23
phonetically sharp and hard. Accordingly, brand managers have to consider whether the
chosen name corresponds to the desired product characteristics and whether the information
triggered by the sound corresponds to the product positioning. (Raab, et al., 2009, pp. 238-
240) Furthermore, words with an exclamation mark activate the limbic system more strongly
and are perceived by more concise consumers. The same applies to short and hard words
like Sale or Cash Back. In particular, the unconscious autopilot in the brain reacts to implicit
meanings of the linguistic codes, whereby purchase decisions are made more quickly for
products that match the respective situation of the customers. Further examples of linguistic
codes are dialogues in a TV spot, sentence structure, slogans, proclaimed keywords or the
use of technical terms. (Scheier & Held, 2012, pp. 77-78)

5.3.2 Story

Another code to address customers are stories. The human brain thinks in patterns and
metaphors. Thoughts are metaphors and often present experiences made in the past. Stories
also consist of memories that are stored in episodic memory and are often expressed in
metaphors. Stories work explicitly and implicitly, through the culturally learned, often
archetypal meanings they convey, and which trigger certain emotions in the brain. Common
motives include birth, love, rivalries, loneliness, death and respective characters. (Raab, et
al., 2009, pp. 240-242)

In application, this is often referred to as storytelling. The basic idea is to convey a message
to the consumer about certain aspects of the product in a predetermined framework, whether
it is the tradition of the company or the outstanding quality of the product. (Nufer &
Wallmeier, 2010, p. 23) Simplified, each good story has a reason for being told and a hero
who sets out on an adventure, then encounters resistance and, in most cases, finally
overcomes it. By accompanying the hero on his way, emotions are aroused in the consumer,
which are linked in the brain with the advertised brand. (Sammer, 2014, pp. 46-47) The story
should be structured as simply as possible, as the brain wants to work with a minimum of
energy and therefore remembers simple stories better than complex ones. Of great
importance in storytelling are the mirror neurons, see chapter 5.2.3, which enable the
consumer to experience the story and empathize with the hero. The emotional bond created
can be further strengthened by integrating recurring symbols that can be assigned to the
brand within the story. (Nufer & Wallmeier, 2010, p. 23)
 24
5.3.3 Symbolism

Symbols give a story a special impact, but conversely, a symbol or archetype can also tell a
story and be encoded as patterns in the consumer's brain. Like the code Story, the code
Symbolism transports implicit and culturally learned meanings in a particularly efficient way.
Symbols can activate immediate behavioral programs in the autopilot particularly quickly.
This results in an automatic reaction to the symbol. A prerequisite for this, however, is that
the meaning of the symbol has been learned, as this is the only way to communicate directly
with the autopilot without switching on the pilot. (Raab, et al., 2009, p. 242) Symbols can
take many forms, such as the brand logo, the shape of the product packaging (e.g. the typical
Coca-Cola bottle) or recurring protagonists and signs in advertising (e.g. bulls and wings by
Red Bull or the bitten-in apple by Apple), but also discount signs. (Scheier & Held, 2012,
pp. 85-86)

5.3.4 Sensory

The sensory code includes all human senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling,
touching. Significance carriers that convey a sensory experience in communication are
forms, colors, lighting conditions, scents, sounds, taste, typography and haptics. If several
senses are addressed simultaneously and the meaning of this multi-sensory pattern is
coherent, the effect in the brain is potentiated and the message achieves a stronger effect.
Patterns are created in the brain, linked by the autopilot to the triggering brand, which
nevertheless associate an overall picture with individual sensory aspects of the brand in
future contacts. (Scheier & Held, 2012, pp. 86-90)

Typical sensory impressions in advertising are conveyed, for example, by the fizzing sound
of an opened beer bottle or the bite into a crisp apple. The design of the sensory impressions
appeals to different types of consumers; it usually has an implicit effect and can thus have a
manipulative influence. The use of sensory codes has become increasingly important in
recent years. Special noise, smell, taste, sound and haptic designers have become common
job profiles in marketing. It should be noted that d ifferent sensory elements of consumers
are associated with different meanings. For example, colors trigger different associations as
blue has a calming effect and associates wisdom, while red has a stimulating effect and
conveys aggressiveness. Within the codes and when combining the individual codes, it is
important to ensure that the same meaning is conveyed via all message carriers in order to
achieve a maximum effect. This is also called Multisensory Enhancement. (Raab, et al.,
2009, pp. 243-244)
 25
5.3.5 Brand Code-ManagementTM

Based on these findings, the German neuromarketing experts Dr. Christian Scheier and Dr.
Dirk Held derived the management process Brand Code-Management™. This approach to
brand communication transfers the theory of neuromarketing into marketing practice and is
a method for the systematic control of all brand contact points, as well as for the direct
implementation of the brand strategy in codes and brand experiences that are perceptible to
the target group. (Scheier & Held, 2012, pp. 173-174)

The method consists of a three-step process, although the individual steps can also be carried
out autonomously:

• Product audit: includes a motive analysis, a product analysis and a competition

analysis. The aim is to define the motives applied in the product, to know the motives
of the competitive products for comparison and to determine the product's
compatibility with the motives. (Scheier & Held, 2012, pp. 177-181)

• Brand audit: consists of an analysis of the motive profile for the brand and a code
analysis. The result: codes that set contrasts. Thereafter, the motives are
differentiated as well as contrasted and suitable brand contact points are analyzed.
(Scheier & Held, 2012, pp. 182-189)

• Competition audit: examines the competitors' codes and the implicit self-perception
of the competitors and tries to address weaknesses or gaps. (Scheier & Held, 2012,
pp. 190-196)

This approach is characterized by the particular focus on the implicit effect of the codes. In
brand management, these can be used to define the target group of a brand more precisely,
to identify relevant codes for it and to implement a successful implementation. The result is
an increased and more positive brand perception. (Scheier & Held, 2012, pp. 173-196)

5.4 Brand perception

From a neuroscientific perspective, brands are neuronal networks in which emotional worlds
are linked to product characteristics and they occupy clear emotional fields on the Limbic®
Map. Strong brands always have emotional attachment points, stand out from their
competitors and thus secure the attention of the consumer. They act as a frame of reference
and meaning for a product. Strong brands create two effects in the brain: Firstly, they provide
 26
cortical relief, i.e. they activate fewer brain areas, which reduces the brain's workload, giving
a consumer's favorite brand a competitive advantage. Secondly, in neuronal brand ranking
only the first place and the rest of it exists. This Winner-takes-it-all-Effect indicates that the
effect of Cortical Relief only occurs for the favorite brand and the gap between the second
preferred brand and the remaining positions were lower than between first position and
second position. (Raab, et al., 2009, pp. 281-282)

A strong brand activates the Balance system by conveying security. The implicit control has
an even stronger effect when the customer is under stress or is uncertain in his buying
decision. The autopilot connects the brand and thus the product to positive experiences,
motives and emotions. This minimizes the risk of buying the wrong thing and activates the
brain areas connected to the reward center. As a result, the more rewarding emotions such
as pleasure (Stimulant system), security (Balance system) or superiority (Dominance
system) a brand triggers, the greater its appeal to the consumer. Strong, neural brand
networks are created primarily through permanent repetition of the brand message. (Häusel,
2016, pp. 182-186)

Therefore, brand management should prioritize keeping the identity of a brand consistent
over the years and address the wishes and needs of the consumer across all four codes in
connection with the planned explicit and implicit message. The more often and in a more
focused way the consumer's needs and thus motivational systems are stimulated via different
channels, the faster the brand code is retrieved in the brain. (Häusel, 2016, pp. 187-188)

In the further course of this thesis, the neuroscientific findings discussed in this chapter will
be examined in a short case study within a practical application on the basis of selected
German beer brands. Afterwards, by conducting a survey, insights into the needs and
perception of potential consumers of these brands will be gained. The resulting duality from
the perspective of the companies and the customers allows a comprehensive insight into
brand management and provides conclusions for the strategic implementation.
 27

6 Empirical studies on brand perception

In the framework of this bachelor’s thesis, an empirical study of brand perception in the
customer's mind as well as brand positioning was conducted. One of the aims of the study
was to examine whether the theoretical aspects gained in the course of this thesis are also
reflected in practice or can be confirmed by an empirical study. Since the technical
possibilities are limited and no direct access to the research methods of cognitive
neurobiology mentioned in chapter 4 was available, the classical methods of market research
were used. In particular, a qualitative case study on the brand positioning of four different
beer brands on the highly competitive German beer market was carried out, followed by a
quantitative survey on the above-mentioned issues of brand perception and brand
positioning. The survey can be divided into two parts and can be found in the appendix of
this bachelor’s thesis. The first part deals with the examination of the theoretical concepts
and the second part with the brand perception of the beer brands examined in the case study.

6.1 Case study

The aim of the brief case study was to determine the possibilities for different brands of
similar products to be marketed and positioned in the minds of consumers. The beer industry
in Germany was chosen as illustrative material.

Figure 5: Number of breweries in Germany until 2019 (Henrich, 2020)

As can be seen in Figure 5, the number of breweries in Germany continues to rise, reaching
a preliminary peak in 2019 with 1,542 breweries. Accordingly, the breweries are facing a
 28
high level of competitive pressure in terms of selling their products, which makes skilled
brand positioning crucial. In addition, the product - beer - was another decisive factor in the
industry's choice. Beer is a readily comparable product with similar production processes
and production costs for all breweries in a low-price segment. On the one hand, this enables
breweries to compete in an equitable manner and, on the other hand, potential consumers of
all income levels to afford this product.

6.1.1 Methodology

To gain qualitative insights into brand positioning, commercials of four different breweries
were examined. The main focus was on the implementation of the four codes observed under
5.3 and the emotion and motivation systems investigated under 5.1. When selecting the
breweries, care was taken to ensure that they are regularly listed among the top 10 most
popular and best-selling beer brands, in order to verify the sufficient coverage within
Germany and, especially in view of the later survey, the awareness of these beer brands. In
addition, it was checked that the breweries are spread over Germany in order to exclude a
regional weighting on a few federal states as well as to represent the entire German area in
the survey. For a representative case study of the whole of Germany it was also crucial that
the breweries offered their beer throughout Germany and that the advertising spots examined
were seen nationwide.

In the end, the decision was made to opt for Radeberger Exportbierbrauerei GmbH (based
in Radeberg, Saxony, eastern Germany), Brauerei C.& A. Veltins GmbH & Co.KG (based
in Meschede-Grevenstein, North-Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany), Brauerei Beck
GmbH & Co.KG (based in Bremen, Bremen, northern Germany) and Privatbrauerei
Erdinger Weißbräu GmbH (based in Erding, Bavaria, southern Germany). The selected
commercials of the breweries were published within a comparable period, 2017 - 2019, are
all available free of charge on YouTube [as of 20.03.2020] and served as a basis for
determining the brand positioning and the use of the 4 codes. The main focus of the study
was the use of the values of the Limbic® Map, as well as the respective use of the codes
Language, Stories, Symbolism and Sensory. In addition, relevant brand-specific aspects
outside of the commercials were included in the investigation in order to determine the brand
positioning.
 29
6.1.2 Results

In the following section, the results of the qualitative investigation by means of a case study
are presented. Each of the four brands studied has been advertised in many different media
for a considerable period of time, keeping its advertisements consistent. This allows the
respective commercials to be considered representative of the brand and the product shown.
The Brand Code Management TM approach presented in chapter 5.4.5, in particular the step
"Competition Audit", was applied for the assessment. This includes the analysis of the codes
and motive systems used by the competitors in the respective competition for the target
customer segmentation analysis.

6.1.2.1 Radeberger

Radeberger Exportbierbrauerei GmbH was founded in 1872, has its headquarters in

Radeberg near Dresden and is part of the Radeberger Gruppe KG, which also includes the
well-known beer brands Jever and Schöfferhofer. In 2018, the Radeberger Gruppe was the
undisputed market leader with 11.01 million hectoliters of beer sold in Germany (Robens,
2019). The most important product of Radeberger Exportbierbrauerei GmbH is Radeberger
Pilsner. The corporate colors are gold and anthracite. (Radeberger Exportbierbrauerei
GmbH, n.d.)

The commercial for the Radeberger Pilsner (Radeberger, 2017), tells the story of a little boy
who is accompanied over a period of 16 years as he grows up. The story is told by a male
voice. The commercial starts in black and white in the 1870s. Against this background, the
protagonist of the story is introduced, the little boy, who represents the development of all
Radeberger lovers since the founding of the company. The viewer follows the boy's progress
with excerpts from his puberty and the associated phase of self-discovery, the first attempts
at contact with the female sex, the boy's rejection, the move out of the parental home, a trip
around the world and the attainment of adulthood symbolized by an interest in art, records,
music and the successful contact with the female sex. In the last section, the protagonist,
now aged between 30 and 40, is shown while dressed up, ordering and drinking a Radeberger
in a bar, before the Radeberger Pilsener is finally shown in a glass and the accompanying
beer bottle in front of Dresden's Semper Opera House.

The code Story mentioned above can be understood as a metaphor for the production of a
Radeberger Pilsner. This fact is made clear by the code Language in the form of the
background narrator. This code describes aspects which are appropriate for the respective
 30
time of life of the boy or the later man, but the vocabulary used is clearly associated with
beer and not with humans. As an example, the boy "must mature for 16 years and go through
an elaborate refinement process and then develop his own, unmistakable taste" in order to
finally be ready as a later man to consume a Radeberger, which has the claim "to be the
best". Accordingly, Radeberger does not declare its Pils as just any Pils, but as "Radeberger
- The Pilsner". The commercial uses a vocabulary associated with tradition, quality, pride,
success and excellence.

The values of tradition, quality and excellence are also conveyed by the code Symbolism, on
the one hand the outfits of the male bartender and the protagonist, on the other hand by the
Semper Opera. At the moment the protagonist drinks a Radeberger for the first time, he
wears a high-quality black suit with a black vest and the bartender wears a white vest with a
black bow tie. Chic dressed people are generally associated with success, the outfits and the
look of the bar convey a feeling of quality and value. The closing picture in front of the
Semper Opera in Dresden, which is illuminated at night and is one of the best operas in
Germany with a long tradition and has been Radeberger's distinctive image for decades.
Furthermore, the Semper Opera House symbolizes Radeberger's headquarters near Dresden
by its location in Dresden.

For the effect of the entire commercial, the code Sensory is crucial, especially the color
design. Starting in black and white, the spot conveys the tradition of the company. The boy's
maturing process is to be understood as a transitional phase in the spot and is presented in
brighter, more vivid colors. In the final section, the spot is dominated by the colors gold,
anthracite and black, which on the one hand underlines the protagonist's growing up and on
the other hand conveys quality, success and value. This also reflects the corporate colors of
Radeberger. The visualization and the associated typical sounds of pouring a beer awaken
the viewer's desire to drink a beer by activating the mirror neurons. This impulse is linked
in the consumers brain with the typical Radeberger melody, played for the first time at this
moment in the commercial. This melody is linked to the melody in the brain of the potential
customer.

Through the interplay of the codes, Radeberger markets its Pils as a high-quality product
from a company rich in tradition, which, especially due to the absence of women in the focus
of the spot, should appeal to successful men who are concerned about quality. Through the
values thus highlighted, Radeberger positions itself on the Limbic® Map in the motif and
emotional world of Discipline/Control, a hybrid of the motif worlds of Balance and
 31
Dominance addressed by the spot. Discipline/Control is characterized by values such as
quality, tradition, pride and reliability. Radeberger's main target group, according t o the
marketing, is likely to be the Limbic® Types Traditionalist and Disciplined, whose
purchasing decisions are mainly influenced by a mix of the dominance and balance system.

6.1.2.2 Veltins

The Brauerei C.& A. Veltins GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1824, has its headquarters in
Meschede-Grevenstein in North-Rhine-Westphalia and is still managed by the Veltins
family (Brauerei C. & A. VELTINS GmbH & Co. KG, 2020a). In 2018 Veltins positioned
itself with 2.819 million hectoliters of beer sold on the 7th place among the German
breweries (Robens, 2019). A special feature of the Veltins Brewery is its great commitment
to regional and international sports sponsoring. Among other things, Veltins is the main
sponsor of the internationally renowned German football club FC Schalke 04, which stages
its home games in the Veltins Arena, and is also a sponsor of major winter sports events such
as the Four Hills Tournament in ski jumping, which is held annually around New Year's
Day, or the Biathlon World Team Challenge, which is held annually between Christmas and
New Year's Eve in the Veltins Arena on Schalke. Veltins' main products are the Pilsner and
the V+ beer mix drinks. (Brauerei C. & A. VELTINS GmbH & Co. KG, 2020b)

The TV commercial "Heartbeat" for the Veltins Pilsener (Veltins, 2019), is a compilation of
four different events, showing alternating scenes of them. The events in question are a
football match of FC Schalke 04, a biker trip, a rock concert and a party with a campfire at
a lake. The first half of the spot is only accompanied by the sound of a heartbeat and the
singing of the fans of FC Schalke 04 and mainly shows close-ups of the protagonists of the
spot during the preparation of the events. The viewer accompanies the Schalke football team
on their way out of the players' tunnel onto the grass, a biker adjusting his motorcycle and
the drummer of a rock band right before the first beat of the concert. Symbolically introduced
by a shot of the football game, the second half of the spot starts. The Veltins Arena is flown
over by a drone, a bottle of Veltins Pilsner shown in close-up pops off the crown cap and the
entire screen is taken up by beer swirling around. The moment the crown cap pops off, the
background song, "United Passion" by DamienDamien, which was produced exclusively for
this spot (Sirotzki, 2019), starts, and previously indicated events, the biker tour, the concert
and the soccer game, are now shown at their peak no longer focusing the main acts, but
instead the fans and the community. Towards the end of the spot, the fourth event is
presented where firstly three men jump into the lake during daylight and the next moment
 32
the party starts, a night out with friends, all between 25 and 30 years old, around a campfire,
talking and toasting with Veltins Pilsner. The final scene of the spot shows a bottle of Veltins
Pilsner and an off-voice replaces the song by saying "passion is what connects us - fresh
Veltins".

The codes Language and Story are strongly linked in this spot. Apart from the Veltins
lettering on the beer bottles shown and the football arena, the only other means of
communication in literal form is the final spoken slogan and the song. The featured part of
the song consists of the lyrics "We're gonna raise our glasses, we're gonna light a fire in the
night, we willl be shinging bright". The rest of the commercial is determined by the scenes
shown, accompanied by background noises such as the heartbeat, clapping and breathing.
By displaying four different events, there is also no classic story. The spectator does not
accompany one particular protagonist on his journey, but three independent events are shown
in excerpts. Only the fourth event, the Lake Party, can be understood as a unifying story
element, whereby the people come together to celebrate after spending the day on different
events. This is also emphasized by song lyrics played at the climax of the respective events,
which already indicate that the participants of the events will toast with their glasses around
a campfire in the evening and celebrate together. According to the slogan spoken at the end,
the story portrays people, almost exclusively men, sharing a passion, appreciating the sense
of community and celebrating together - united by passion. By focusing the story on the
main protagonists immediately before the start of the respective event in the first half of the
spot, the values of fame, honor, achievement and ambition are conveyed. The focus on the
fans during the event in the second half of the spot conveys the values fight, pride and
passion.

These values are enhanced by the choice of events in the course of the code Symbolism.
Football, rock bands and motorcycles are classically associated with the male sex.
Accordingly, the spot shows almost exclusively men. This suggests that it is mainly men
who represent the target group of the Veltins Pilsner and are particularly attracted by t he
vicinity of the football stadium, the rock concert or the biker tour. In addition to using the
Veltins Pilsner beer bottles as a link of the TV spot to the brand, the symbols "campfire" and
"lake" at the end of the spot should also symbolize the value of freedom, which is also
already represented by the biker tour. The fading in of the Veltins-Arena and the soccer game
additionally symbolize the commitment of Veltins in sports sponsoring and the strong
connection to FC Schalke 04, as well as the location of the brewery in the region of this
football club and the close connection of Veltins to this region.
 33
The Sensory code is decisive for the effect of the commercial, especially the auditory
perception. By enhancing the first half of the spot with heartbeats, slow breathing sounds
and cheering, rhythmic clapping, the viewer is given the feeling of excitement - a feeling
shared by the main acts right up to the beginning of the respective event. The audience
experiences a sense of inner tension, excitement and anticipation, which reflects the honor
of the acts and their ambition to perform well. This feeling dissolves with the symbolic
bursting of the crown cork and releases the emotions, which are transported through the song
- the feeling of passion, pride, spirit and freedom emerges. From a visual perspective, the
spot focuses on darker shades and repeatedly varies the tempo of the spot by using short
slow-motion sequences. The tempo variations support the focus on special moments and the
associated values already mentioned, while the darker shades are related to the male target
group.

Through the interplay of the codes, Veltins markets its Pilsner as a passionate event product
that is intended to appeal primarily to men. Through the highlighted values, Veltins clearly
positions itself on the Limbic® Map in the motif and emotion world of Dominance. The
focus of this motif system is on competition, success, pride, honor and fame. Especially men
are associated with it due to the high testosterone content and are also in the focus of the
marketing of the Veltins Pilsner. Accordingly, the main target group of Veltins should be
the Limbic® Types Performer, whose purchase decisions are mainly influenced by the
dominance system and are characterized by a high performance orientation and ambition,
and Adventurer, influenced by the dominance and stimulus system and focusing on
excitement, fun and freedom.

6.1.2.3 Beck's

The Brauerei Beck GmbH & Co. KG was founded in Bremen in 1873, has been a member
of the Antheuser-Busch InBev Group since 2002 (Vogt, 2015) and, in addition to the
German-speaking domestic market, is primarily focused on international exports. Under the
brand name Beck's the brewery produces beers and mixed beer drinks. In line with its
international orientation, some products are produced exclusively for respective non-
German territories and in return, international beers are produced for the German market
under the "Taste the World" brand. In addition to its international orientation, a further
special feature of the Beck Brewery is its great commitment to festival sponsoring. Under
the heading of "Beck's Festival Summer", Beck's has developed into one of the largest
festival sponsors in Germany and is one of the main sponsors of the largest German festivals.
 34
In 2018, the Antheuser-Busch InBev Group was the second most successful beer producer
on the German market with 6,597 hectoliters of beer sold, with Beck's responsible for most
of the turnover (Robens, 2019). Beck's corporate colors are emerald green and red. (Brauerei
Beck & Co, n.d.)

As with the Veltins TV spot, the TV commercial "You make it legendary" for Beck's Pils
(Beck's, 2017) is a compilation of different events, from which scenes are shown in
sequence. In contrast to Veltins, however, these events cannot be exactly defined or
separated, and no clear structure is evident, according to which the spot can be divided into
an initial, middle and final section. The spot primarily focuses on young adults between 20
and 30 enjoying life and having fun in various activities. The activities shown include
partying at a festival, various activities on and near the sea such as cliff diving, surfing or
making a campfire, spending time on a closed and empty area, possibly an airport, partying
into the sunset on a roof terrace or walking through a city by night. In each case groups are
shown, which consist of approximately equal proportions of women and men and always
hold Beck's Pils in their hands. The TV spot is accompanied by the song "Legendary" by
Welshly Arms. There is no talking throughout the whole TV spot, only towards the end lyrics
are inserted in different sequences: "Geh voran" (Go ahead), "Nimm’s in die Hand" (Take it
in your hand), "Und zeig der Welt was in dir steckt" (And show the world what you are made
of). The spot ends with a slow-motion study of the process of pouring beer up close into a
glass vessel and then fading in the Beck's Pils bottle against a black background and the text
"Erst mit dir wird’s legendär" (Only with you does it become legendary).

The code Story plays a subordinate role for this TV spot in the classic sense. There is neither
one or more clearly defined protagonists nor a consistent storyline. Instead, the complete
spot is a conglomerate of individual scenes and impressions that show unusual activities and
accordingly convey adventure, freedom, youth and fun. All scenes shown take place in
summer, which in turn reinforces the impression of freedom and fun. This way, the story
shows potential leisure activities for young adults. The message conveyed by the story is
therefore clear: consumers enjoy life with Beck's, experience extraordinary moments with
friends and every day becomes legendary.

The code Language transports its message mainly through the written word. The chosen
sentence passages convey the message to the viewer that it is up to him to become active
("Take it in hand"), to go out, ("Go ahead") to explore the world and to present himself ("And
show the world what you are made of"). The slogan "Erst mit dir wird's legendär" ("Only
 35
with you it becomes legendary") at the end can be understood as a summary of the previously
inserted sentences and gives again the hint that the viewer should not sit at home but instead
spend some time with friends. The chosen words associate the values freedom, friendship,
adventure, spontaneity and fun. A striking feature is the use of the linguistic stylistic method
of "contraction", which means that instead of " Nimm es in die Hand " the shortened form "
Nimm’s in die Hand " is used and instead of " Erst mit dir wird es legendär " the shortened
form " Erst mit dir wird’s legendär " is applied. There are two reasons for this, on the one
hand this stylistic device reflects the brand name Beck's, where the s is also separated by an
apostrophe, on the other hand it is oriented towards the youth and everyday language, in
which it is common practice to draw two words together into one without changing the
meaning of the words while talking. Thus, Beck's again subconsciously addresses the group
of young adults shown in the spot. The lyrics of the background song are negligible, as they
are in English and therefore for the most part not noticed by the viewers. Only the frequently
repeated keywords "Legends", "Attention" and "legendary" are likely to be perceived by
many viewers and underline the intention of the slogan and the conveyance of the values
freedom, adventure and fun.

In this spot, the codes Symbolism and Sensory are strongly linked to each other and refer to
the values already considered. Accordingly, a wide-angle camera is used in almost all
sequences to capture the horizon. The horizon visualized this way symbolizes the freedom
as well as the boundless possibilities that the world offers, and the potential adventures
associated with it. These values are also conveyed by the symbol’s "campfire" and "sea". In
a short sequence the three-master ship, which Beck's has been using for decades, is also
shown. The symbol of the three-master used, is a cultural sign for expedition and adventure.
The emerald green sails pick up the company color and associate it in a manner that helps
Beck's to experience the adventures. The chosen events, especially the festival, symbolize
youth, summer, fun and freedom and illustrate the brewery's connection to the festival scene.
The advertised product itself, the Pils, represents a further component of freedom for the
activities shown, which additionally connects and brings friends together and provides a high
recognition value due to the emerald green color of the bottles.

Through the interplay of the codes, Beck's markets its Pils as an adventure product for young
adults that brings friends together, gives joy of life and makes every day special. Through
the highlighted values, Beck's positions itself on the Limbic® Map in the motif and emotion
world Stimulant and the mixed form Adventure/Thrill. These motif systems focus on the
desire for new, unknown stimuli and experiences and the feeling of pleasure. The main target
 36
group of Beck's, according to the marketing, is likely to be young adults of both sexes and
the Limbic® types Adventurer and Hedonist, whose purchasing decisions are mainly
influenced by the stimulant system. When it comes to consumption, fun, excitement,
adventure and the extraordinary are in focus of these two types.

6.1.2.4 Erdinger

Privatbrauerei Erdinger Weißbräu GmbH, headquartered in Erding, near Munich, was

founded in 1886 and is the largest wheat beer brewery in the world. In 2018, the
Privatbrauerei Erdinger Weißbräu sold a total of 1.358 hectoliters of beer (Robens, 2019).
The most important products are Erdinger Weißbier and Erdinger Alkoholfrei. In recent
years, Erdinger has marketed almost exclusively Erdinger Alkoholfrei on TV throughout
Germany, which is available in various flavors, thus becoming the market leader in Germany
in the non-alcoholic beer segment (Erdinger Weißbräu, 2020a). For marketing, Erdinger
works primarily with well-known biathlon and triathlon athletes and is involved in
sponsoring the biathlon and triathlon world cups. (Erdinger Weißbräu, 2020b)

The current Erdinger Alkoholfrei TV spot "Für dich" (Erdinger, 2017) was published in
2017. The main protagonist is a woman between 30 and 40, whom the viewer accompanies
during her daily life in short, changing sequences. The motifs "training" and "leisure time"
are alternated again and again. The shown sport sequences encompass a man during
swimming training, two men during cycling training in a mountainous and forested
landscape and the main protagonist while jogging out of a city park. All the athletes wear
sports outfits in the typical Erdinger Alkoholfrei blue shades. The leisure sequences mainly
show the main protagonist during various outdoor activities. Thus, scenes feature her and a
friend riding their bicycles through a forest to a lake and enjoying the day, the woman in her
leisure outfit walking through the city along a city park and, at the end of the spot, the main
protagonist with two friends in a park toasting with Erdinger Alkoholfrei. In the final scene,
Erdinger Alkoholfrei is displayed standing on a tree trunk by a lake, filled in a wheat beer
glass as well as in the bottle, along with two other taste variations (Erdinger Alkoholfrei
lemon and Erdinger Alkoholfrei grapefruit). Throughout the entire spot, the main protagonist
speaks to the viewer via an off-voice and adds statements to the situation shown: "Dieser
Moment für mich" (This moment for me), "Diese Zeit für uns" (This time for us), "Dieser
Geschmack – natürlich, sportlich, erfrischend" (This taste - natural, sporty, refreshing),
"Erdinger Alkoholfrei – für dich, für dich und für mich" (Erdinger Alkoholfrei - for you, for
you and for me) and "Jetzt neu – natürlich mit Zitrone, natürlich mit Grapefruit" (Now new
 37
- naturally with lemon, naturally with grapefruit). The spot is accompanied by the song "Do
what you wanna do" by Sebastian Pille feat. Alica.

This commercial combines sports with leisure, friendship and the enjoyment of beer. It is
not the competitive character of sport that is highlighted, but the enjoyment and feel-good
factor. The shown athletes laugh while practicing the respective sport and enjoy time,
freedom and nature. The illuminated enjoyment aspect is enhanced by the fact that the same
sporting activities are also shown in leisure time together with friends. In connection with
the joint consumption of beer, the Erdinger markets the product by associating the values of
enjoyment, lightness, naturalness, sociability, fun and friendship. The message is conveyed
accordingly that Erdinger Alkoholfrei is a refreshing pleasure drink that promotes a healthy
lifestyle.

The code Language is used in the spot only in the form of the spoken word by the off voice
of the protagonist. The linguistic messages support the aspects conveyed by the story. The
sentences "This moment for me" and "This time for us" convey a feeling of pleasure, time
out, well-being and sociability. These aspects are linked to the product Erdinger Alkoholfrei
through the statements "This taste - natural, sporty, refreshing", "Erdinger Alkoholfrei - for
you, for you and for me" and "Now new - naturally with lemon, naturally with grapefruit".
In addition, by repeatedly using the term "natural", Erdinger also creates a link between beer
and nature and, in conjunction with the term "sporty", underlines the aspect of a healthy
lifestyle. The calm and relaxed way of speaking of the protagonists creates a feeling of inner
balance in the viewer. The song lyrics are of little importance in the spot, as they are not
really clear and rather the melody of the song contributes to the overall effect of the spot.

The code Symbolism is negligible in this spot. Erdinger uses motif worlds rather than special
symbols for the development of the effect and its clarification. However, the choice of the
sports shown - swimming, cycling and jogging - can be understood as a symbol for their
involvement in triathlon. The order in which they appear in the spot corresponds to the order
during a triathlon competition. At the same time, Erdinger thus communicates the potential
integration of its product into a healthy lifestyle. The code Sensory, on the other hand, makes
a decisive contribution to the effect of the spot. The melody of the song gives the viewer an
auditory feeling of lightness. The visual capturing of the setting sun enhances the feeling of
inner balance and enjoyment. Many people associate a low, setting sun with a relaxed end
of the day and shaking off the stress of everyday life. This also supports the aspect of time
out, freedom and naturalness.
 38
Through the interaction of the codes, the Privatbrauerei Erdinger markets its Prodult as a
pleasure and refreshment product for health-conscious consumers who are looking for a little
time-out and want to get rid of everyday stress. Through the highlighted values, Erdinger
positions itself on the Limbic® Map in the motif and emotion world Fantasy/Pleasure, the
hybrid of the two motif worlds Stimulant and Balance. The focus of this motif system is the
search for relaxation and pleasure. The main target group of Erdinger Alkoholfrei, according
to the marketing, is likely to be primarily middle-aged athletes and women, as well as the
Limbic® Type Connoisseurs in general, who prioritize worlds of enjoyment and experience
due to the slight predominance of the stimulant system and a positive attitude to life, while
paying attention to the quality and origin of the products due to an additional relatively high
proportion of balance.

6.1.3 Conclusion
6.1.3 Fazit
Based on the case study, it was possible to show how differently similar products can be
Anhand der Case Study konnte gut gezeigt werden, wie unterschiedlich sich, durch den
marketed throughder
gezielten Einsatz the Codes,
targeted use of the
ähnliche codes and
Produkte how theylassen
vermarkten thereby
undreveal a differentiated
wie diese dadurch eine
differenzierte
target Zielgruppensegmentierung
group segmentation. aufzeigen. Auch
The general significance die allgemeine
of codes Bedeutung
for the impact von
of advertising
Codes für die Wirkung von
spots could also be clarified. Werbespots

Figure 6: Postioning of Radeberger, Veltins, Beck's and Erdinger ba sed on the case study (own compilation
based on Wahid, 2019)
 39
Figure 6 shows the areas of the Limbic® Map in which the beer brands Radeberger, Veltins,
Beck's and Erdinger are positioned for the respective products examined by the advertising
spots and which motivational systems should be addressed by them. It also became clear
what the target group of the respective brands is and the system of the Limbic® Types could
also be used. With the help of the following study it should be examined whether the
commercials can really convey the desired motives and whether the target group of a brand
favors the respective commercial. Furthermore, the survey serves to validate the insights
gained in the case study.

6.2 Survey on brand perception

In the following, the survey design is described more in detail. First of all, the applied survey
design, information on the participants of the survey and their recruitment, as well as the aim
and procedure of data collection are explained. The aim of the survey was to test the
theoretical hypotheses collected in the course of this work in a realistic environment. This
includes both the collected theoretical foundations of neuromarketing and the findings of the
case study. The results of this survey should enable statements to be made about the
relevance of the theoretical concepts of neuromarketing in the working environment of brand
management. Based on this quantitative gain in knowledge, advice for the inclusion of
neuromarketing in brand management will then be given. Due to financial, logistical and
technical reasons, there was no access to the classical research methods of neuromarketing.
To achieve these goals, a survey was deliberately chosen to be implemented, as this way
many test persons of different ages and social classes can be reached in a short time.

6.2.1 Methodology

The survey was based on a questionnaire conducted by a focus group in 2009 in the context
of the book "Neuromarketing - Grundlagen, Erkenntnisse, Anwendungen" (Neuromarketing
- Basics, Findings, Applications) by Raab, Gernsheimer and Schindler. The self -initiated
implementation of a focus group did not make sense due to governmental restrictions in the
wake of theworldwide corona virus pandemic. Due to the local limitation of the survey to
the German-speaking advertising space, it was conducted in German. The international
online survey platform www.survio.com was chosen for implementation.
 40
6.2.1.1 Research design

In order to test the hypotheses already stated, the format of an experimental survey on brand
perception was chosen as the method of collection. The design of the survey can be divided
into three sections.

In the first section, general information on the test persons was collected, such as age, gender
or profession, as well as information on cigarette, chocolate and alcohol consumption which
is important for the evaluation of subsequent questions. The information on these questions
makes it possible to scientifically evaluate the influence of personal life circumstances and
lifestyle on brand perception. The age information was given within previously defined
groups, with the individual groups being classified based on the concept of Erik Erikson's
Stages of Psychosocial Development (McLeod, 2018) in connection with Armstrong’s 12
Stages of life (Armstrong, 2019). Accordingly, the following age groups resulted:

• 17 and younger: the average respondent attends school and lives with his parents

• 18 - 25: the average respondent is in apprenticeship or study and is financially

dependent on his parents

• 26 - 35: the average respondent starts his working career, is financially independent
of his parents and founds a family him- or herself

• 36 - 50: the average respondent being midway through their working life and having
a family with children in need of financial support

• 51 - 65: the average respondent has reached the final stages of their working life and
their own offspring are financially independent

• 65 and over: the average respondent has finished working life and has reached
retirement age

The second section of the survey deals with the brand network built up in the minds of the
test persons. To investigate brand perception, the test persons were shown four
advertisements without product images and brand names. Specifically, these were an ad by
the German beer brand Beck's, an ad by the Swiss chocolate manufacturer Milka, an ad by
the American tobacco giant Marlboro, and an ad by the telecommunications company o2.
The advertisements contained typical stimuli and codes of the brand manufacturers that are
frequently used in TV and print media.
 41
The last part of the survey served to verify the concepts Limbic® Map and Limbic® Types,
as well as to validate the case study. For this purpose, the test persons were first assigned to
the Limbic® Types by means of a questionnaire on the most influential aspects of their
lifestyle and their prioritization of possible product features. Afterwards, the advertisements
of the German beer brands Radeberger, Veltins, Beck's and Erdinger were evaluated. For all
questions, the test person was given characteristic values from the Limbic® Map for the
respective motif and emotion systems to choose from. Finally, the respondent was asked to
indicate which commercial he or she prioritized and to give information about the preferred
beer brand. In addition to the four brands considered, the respondent was given the
opportunity to indicate another beer brand or the absence of a preference.

A complete version of the questionnaire can be found in Appendix A and B. It should be

noted that these are the original survey in German and its transcripts in English.

6.2.1.2 Recruitment and distribution

The subjects were recruited via a link leading to the questionnaire generated on Survio. This
link was transmitted primarily via social media as well as communication platforms and
thus, was especially spread among my contacts via WhatsApp. However, as the link was
mainly distributed by students, a large proportion of the respondents are also students, which
has an impact on the transferability to different age groups and the general representation of
the survey. The survey ran over a period of 10 days, starting in the morning of 20.03.2020
and ending on 29.03.2020 at 23:59, with almost 77% of all responses received within the
first three days. The participants took part in the study voluntarily and without payment.

6.2.1.3 Pretest

A focus group consisting of family members, acquaintances and friends was formed to pre-
test the survey before publication. Care was taken to cover all age groups to be tested and
different educational levels. This resulted in the following composition of the focus group,
consisting of five women and five men:

• 17 and younger: one pupil (school branch: secondary school)

• 18 - 25: one trainee (sanitary engineering field), one student (communication

sciences and psychology field)

• 26 - 35: one PhD student (biochemistry), one employee (car mechanic)

 42
• 36 - 50: one employee (Head of HR), one employee (kindergarten teacher)

• 51 - 65: one employee (key account manager), one employee (retail salesperson)

• 66 and over: one pensioner

The test sessions were conducted via Skype and revealed minor formulation and
comprehension errors, which were corrected before the start of the survey period. The pretest
was not used to collect initial data.

6.2.1.4 Evaluation of data

The evaluation of the data obtained was carried out using the survey platform used and the
Microsoft Excel program. The Survio survey platform evaluated each question individually
and presented the answers given graphically. In order to investigate cross-connections, the
list of individual answers was exported directly from Survio to Excel, where it was
descriptively quantified, analyzed and assessed using the available statistical tools. To
evaluate the significance of the observed accumulations, either the Pearson Chi-Square-Test
(χ2 ) (Hemmerich, 2020a) or the T-Test for paired samples (t) (Hemmerich, 2019) was used,
depending on the test object. A result was considered statistically significant if the calculated
test value was smaller than the significance level 5% (α = 0.05). If the calculated value was
below an alpha value of 1% (α = 0.01), the test result was considered highly significant
(Hemmerich, 2020b). The results and findings identified in the process are presented and
evaluated in the following section.

6.2.2 Results

The results are viewed in the order of the survey. Accordingly, first the general information
about the respondents is given, then the findings on brand perception are analyzed and finally
the results of the test for the concepts Limbic® Types and Limbic® Map are shown. Not all
questions are analyzed in depth, while only the most important results are discussed.
Exemplary calculations of the significance tests with the inclusion of Excel can be found in
Appendix C.

6.2.2.1 General information

A total of 212 people took part in the survey, with a drop-out rate of 32%, which corresponds
to 68 people. 144 participants completed the survey and are the sole subjects for the
 43
evaluation of the results. The answers already given by the dropouts will not be considered
further. The aim of the first task type was to gain knowledge about important, specially
selected characteristics of the test persons for the evaluation of later tasks.

The test persons are composed of 52 men and 92 women, which corresponds to a ratio of
36% to 64%. None of the respondents made use of the option not to specify their gender.
The respondents rated themselves as having an average affinity for advertising with an
average value of 3.0 on a scale of 1 - 5, whereby women rated themselves as more affinitive
to advertising with a value of 3.11 than men with a value of 2.75.

Age Profession
9.7%
1.4% 2.8% 1.4% 2.8% 0.7%

18.8% 39.6%

55.6%

60.4%
6.9%

17 and younger 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 50 51 - 65 66 and older Pupil Trainee Student Professional Pensioner

Figure 7: Distribution of age of the test persons Figure 8: Distribution of profession of the test persons

The age distribution of the test persons, as shown in Figure 7, was dominated by the group
of 18 - 25-year-olds with 87 test persons or a share of almost 60%, followed by the 36 - 50-
year-olds with 27 test persons. From the age group of 51 - 65, 14 persons participated, from
the 26 – 35-year-old group 10 persons. In addition, there were 4 underage participants and 2
seniors. According to the age distribution, the occupational distribution, as shown in Figure
8, is almost completely determined by students with 80 participants and the working
population with 57 participants. The remaining 7 test persons were distributed among 4
students, 2 pensioners and 1 trainee. None of the respondents were jobseekers. The group
with the greatest affinity for advertising was that of 26-35-year-olds with an average of 3.1
and the group with the least affinity for advertising was that of 51-65-year-olds with an
average of 2.86.
 44

Table 2: Distribution of tested characteristics among the test persons

Characteristic Yes (Amount) Yes (Percentage) No (Amount) No (Percentage)

Children 41 28.5 % 103 71.5 %

Smoker 20 13.9 % 124 86.1 %

Chocolate consumer 90 62.5 % 54 37.5 %

Alcohol consumer 78 54.2 % 66 45.8 %

Beer drinker 75 52.1 % 69 47.9 %

In the following, the distribution of the characteristics surveyed shown in Table 2 is analyzed
in conjunction with the characteristics gender, age and occupation. Only 41 respondents or
28.5% have children, 39 of whom belong to the age groups older than 25. Two subjects with
children are between 18 and 25 and are studying. 103 test persons are childless.

Smoker
30%
25.0%
25%
21.4%
19.2% 20.0%
20% 18.5%

15%
10.8% 10.3%
10%

5%
0.0%
0%
Male Female 17 and 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 50 51 - 65 66 and older
younger

Sex Age

Figure 9: Breakdown of smoking test persons by selected characteristics

124 test persons are non-smokers. Of the corresponding 20 smokers, almost half, 9 test
persons, belong to the age group of 18 - 25 years, which corresponds to a smoker share of
10.3% within this age group and the lowest smoker share of all age groups with smokers, as
shown in Figure 9. The highest percentage of smokers was found in the group of underage
 45
persons with one smoker, although this cannot be considered meaningful due to the small
number of only 4 participants. In the group of 51 - 65 year-olds, 3 persons indicated to be
smokers, in the group of 26 - 35 year-olds 2 persons, in the group of 36 - 50 year-olds 5 test
persons and of the participating seniors none smokes, although this group is also not
representative due to the small number of only two participants. The smokers are divided
equally between the two sexes, with 10 women and 10 men, with the percentage of smokers
among the men at 19.2% being distinctively higher than among the women at 10.8%, while
not being significantly higher (χ2 = 0.16).

The 90 chocolate consumers are divided between 67 women and 23 men. For women, this
corresponds to a share of 72.8%, for men 44.2%, which results in a highly significant higher
(χ2 = 0.0007) proportion among women. Among the minors, 100% of those questioned said
they consumed chocolate regularly, while the figure was only 50% for people over 51. Of
the 18 – 35-year-olds, almost 60% consume chocolate, while among the 36 – 50-year-olds
it was 70%.

Regular Alcohol Consumption

90%
78.8%
80%
70% 62.5%
60.9%
60% 57.1%
50.0%
50% 43.8%
40.2% 40.0% 40.7%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0.0%
0%
Male Female 17 and 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 50 51 - 65 66 and Student Worker
younger older

Sex Age Profession

Figure 10: Breakdown of alcohol consuming test persons by selected characteristics

54.2% of the test persons regularly consume alcohol, 37 women and 41 men. As shown in
Figure 10, the share of women, 40%, is highly significantly lower (χ2 = 0.000008) than for
men with 79%. The proportion of students who regularly consume alcohol, 63%, is also
significantly higher (χ2 = 0.03) than that of professionals, 44%. The age group with the
proportionally highest alcohol consumption is accordingly the group of 18 - 25-year-olds
with nearly 61%, followed by the 51 - 65-year-olds with 57%.
 46

Beer Enjoyment
100.0%
100%
90%
78.8%
80%
71.1%
70%
60% 54.0% 53.8%
50.0% 47.4%
50%
40.7%
36.9%
40%
30.0%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Male Female 17 and 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 50 51 - 65 66 and Student Worker
younger older

Sex Age Profession

Figure 11: Breakdown of beer loving test persons by selected characteristics

When asked about their liking of beer, only 34 women answered positively. Among the men,
however, 41 subjects answered positively. Again, a highly significant difference between
the two sexes is evident (χ2 = 0.000001), as shown in Figure 11. In contrast, the difference
between students and working people decreased compared to alcohol consumption. While
only about 54% of the students stated to like beer, 47% of the working people confirmed
this. The proportion of 18-25% of the population aged 18-25 years who like beer also
decreased to 54%, whereas the group of 51-65 years heads the list with 71 % positive
answers.

Regular alcohol consumption and a preference for beer was shown by 60 subjects or 42%,
while neither alcohol nor beer was consumed by 51 subjects or 35%. The difference between
the two sexes is also particularly noteworthy here. For example, 42 women (45.6%) stated
that they neither consumed alcohol nor beer, whereas only 9 men (17.3%) did. 27.2% of
women and 67.3% of men answered both questions positively.

The knowledge gained about the preferences and distribution of the test persons will be used
in the further progress of the study to analyze the respective results more specifically. The
cross-references between the characteristics and the aspects of age group and gender will be
of particular importance.
 47
6.2.2.2 Brand perception
6.2.2.2 Markenwahrnehmung
The aim of the second part was to investigate the significance of the codes for the brand
Ziel des zweiten Aufgabenteils war die Überprüfung der Bedeutung der Codes für das
network in the minds of consumers. For the test setup, four advertisements from different
Markennetzwerk im Kopf der Konsumenten. Für den Testaufbau wurden vier Werbeanzeigen
industries (alcohol/beer,
verschiedener Industrienchocolate, tobaccoSchokolade,
(Alkohol/Bier, and telecommunications), which can be seen in
Tabak und Telekommunikation)
Figure 12, were
ausgewählt und selected and their brand
dann Markenname sowie name
Sloganand sloganFokus
entfernt. were des
thenTests
removed . The
war es, ob focus
die of
the test was to
Probanden diedetermine whetherantheden
Marke lediglich testnun
subjects recognized
verbliebenen the brand
Codes, solelyder
vorwiegend by the
Codecodes
that now remained,
„Symbolik“, erkennen. predominantly the codeWerbeanzeigen
Da es sich um plakative Symbolism. Since
handelt,these are Codes
sind die placative
advertisements, the„Sensorik“
„Geschichte“ und codes Story
von and Sensoryfür
vornherein aredierather secondary forinbrand
Markenerkennung recognition.
diesem Fall eher In
addition, it was
zweitrangig. Desexamined whether
Weiteren wurde test persons
geschaut, who stated
ob Probanden, die imto have angaben
Vorfeld a highereine
affinity
höhereto the
respective
Affinität zuindustry in advance
der jeweiligen Industriewere abledietojeweilig
zu haben, identify the respective
beworbene advertised
Marke signifikant brand
öfter
identifizierenmore
significantly konnten.
often.

Figure 12: Tested advertisements for brand identification (Scheier & Held, 2006, p. 37)

The first advertisement promotes a beer product of the Beck's brand and shows a three-
master with emerald green sails near the beach on the sea. In addition, the company's
corporate color is displayed in the form of a color stripe at the bottom of the screen to contrast
with other company ads in similar settings. With regard to the distribution of test persons
and their queried characteristics, it is of interest whether men, as well as the groups of the
18 - 25-year-olds and the 51 - 65-year-olds, identify the advertised brand Beck's significantly
more often correctly according to their higher affinity to alcohol and beer. In total, only
29.9% of the test persons identified the advertised brand. However, about 1/3 of these
persons linked the advertisement to another brand than Beck's. The brands mentioned were
mainly Beck's competitors, more specifically the beer brands Jever, Warsteiner and
Heineken. Accordingly, it can be concluded that, while Beck's ad activates the neural
network for alcohol/beer, it subsequently has problems differentiating itself from
competitors who use a similar corporate color and/or similar scenery for their
advertisements. The fact that about 70% of the test persons did not recognize the brand at all
 48
shows how important product images, brand name or slogan are for recognition. The
distribution of the 29 participants (20.1 %) who correctly identified Beck's, in relation to the
respective group of characteristics, can be seen in the following Figure 13.

Identification of "Beck's"
80%
70.0%
70%

60%

50%
40.7% 42.8%
40% 34.6%

30%
21.3%
18.8%
20%
11.9%
10% 5.7%
0.0% 0.0%
0%
Male Female 17 and 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 50 51 - 65 66 and Yes No
younger older

Sex Age Beer Lover

Figure 13: Breakdown of test person by prior tested characteristics regarding the identification of
Beck's

The test resulted in a highly significantly higher proportion (χ2 = 0.001) of men identifying
Beck's correctly compared to the women. This corresponds with the result that the male test
persons showed a significantly higher affinity to alcohol and beer than the female ones. In
total, however, only 16 of the 75 people who like beer correctly identified the Beck's brand.
While more than 50% of the 18-25-year-olds and students liked beer, only 5% of these
groups could correctly identify Beck's. If the group of the over 65-year-olds is ignored due
to the small number of only 2 participants, the 51 - 65-year-olds were the group with the
most people who said they liked beer (over 70%). In the end, however, only 43% correctly
detected Beck's, whereas 70% of the 26 – 35-year-olds correctly identified Beck's, even
though only 30% liked beer.

The second advertisement promotes a Milka brand chocolate and shows a picnic with fresh
milk in an Alpine panorama. In addition, the company's corporate color is shown in the form
of a color stripe at the bottom of the screen to contrast with other company ads in similar
settings. With regard to the distribution of respondents and their characteristics, it is
interesting to investigate whether women in particular are able to identify Milka more
frequently, in accordance with their significantly higher affinity to chocolate compared to
 49
male respondents. The affinity for chocolate was between 50% and 70% for each age group,
with only the underage respondents all stating to like chocolate. Due to the small number of
samples, this group is not meaningful. A total of 66.7% of the test persons indicated that
they recognized the brand. Of these 96 people, 66 people ultimately correctly assigned the
ad to Milka, which corresponds to a recognition rate of 46% of all test persons. The
remaining 30% linked the ad to other well-known brands such as Bärenmarke,
Weihenstephan or Landliebe, which all produce dairy products and also advertise them in
the Alpine scenery. 48 people could not link the ad to any brand. The distribution of the 66
participants who correctly identified Milka, in relation to the respective group of
characteristics, can be seen in the following Figure 14.

Identification of "Milka"
80% 75.0%

70%
60.0%
57.7%
60%
48.1% 50.0% 50.0%
50% 44.4% 44.4%
42.5%
39.1%
40%

30%

20%

10%

00%
Male Female 17 and 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 50 51 - 65 66 and Yes No
younger older

Sex Age Chocolate Lover

Figure 14: Breakdown of test person by prior tested characteristics regarding the identification of
Milka

Although women, with a share of 73%, had a significantly higher affinity for chocolate than
men with 44%, the brand was recognized significantly (χ2 = 0.03) by proportionately more
men than women. While between 50% and 70% of the respective test persons in all age
groups showed an affinity for chocolate, all age groups were in a similar range when
identifying Milka. Even if it is not meaningful due to the small number of stings, it is
nevertheless remarkable that 4 out of 4 minors stated that they liked chocolate and 3 of these
4 actually identified Milka correctly. If this age group is excluded, it is noticeable that again
test persons between 26 - 35 years of age identified the brand correctly more often than the
rest and the 18 - 25 years of age again came off least well. Of a total of 90 people who had
an affinity for chocolate, only 40 identified the Milka brand.
 50
The third advertisement promotes the Marlboro tobacco brand and shows a horde of horses
riding through a dusty landscape. With regards to the distribution of test persons and their
characteristics, it is interesting to examine whether people under 26 identify the brand
significantly less often than older test persons, as this age group has fewer smokers.
Furthermore, this group has not received access to tobacco advertisements, as since 2007 the
advertising of tobacco products in TV, newspaper and radio is prohibited in Germany
according to directives of the European Union in 2003 (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche
Aufklärung, n.d.). In total, 41% of the respondents identified the brand. Of these 59 people,
53 people actually correctly attributed the ad to Marlboro, which represents a percentage of
89% and a recognition rate of 37% of all respondents. The remaining 6% linked the ad to
the tobacco brand Lucky Strikes and the cars Dacia and Mustang. 85 people were unable to
link the ad to any brand. The distribution of the 53 participants who correctly identified
Marlboro in relation to the respective feature group can be seen in the following Figure 15.

Identification of "Marlboro"
100.0%
100%
90% 85.2%
80%
70.0%
70% 64.2%
60.0%
60% 51.9%
50%
40% 31.9% 33.1%
30%
20% 13.8%
10%
0.0%
0%
Male Female 17 and 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 50 51 - 65 66 and Yes No
younger older

Sex Age Smoker

Figure 15: Breakdown of test person by prior tested characteristics regarding the identification of
Marlboro

The test resulted in a significantly higher (χ2 = 0.02) proportion of men correctly identifying
Marlboro than of women. This corresponds with the result that the male test persons have a
higher proportion of smokers than the female test persons. In total, 12 of the 20 smoking test
persons correctly identified the brand, which corresponds to a rate of 60%. In the distribution
of the identification rate among the age groups, as expected in advance, there was a highly
significant difference (χ2 = 0.00000000000001) between test persons under 26 and the test
persons aged 26 and over. Whereas not a single person among the underage participants
 51
identified the tobacco brand and only 14% among the 18-25-year-olds, in all other groups
more than half of the test persons did. Among the seniors even both test persons identified
Marlboro, although they are non-smokers. The proportion of smokers in the remaining
groups was around 20%. Only the smoking proportion of the 18 – 25-year-olds deviated
remarkably with about 10%.

The fourth advertisement promotes the telecommunications brand o2 and acts as a kind of
cross-check with the other three companies in the test series. Unlike the other three brands,
o2 does not rely on any kind of landscape scenery in the creation of its ads, but focuses on
backgrounds mostly in blue gradients and the use of air bubbles as a symbol for o2, which
is also the chemical code of air. Due to the resulting unique selling point within the German
advertising landscape, o2 should be recognized significantly more often, even if the name,
logo and slogan are missing. The telecommunications industry appeals to men and women
in equal measure and, although it affects all age groups due to general mobile phone and
internet use, younger people could be more familiar with it due to more intensive use.
Accordingly, the question of gender and age distribution is particularly interesting and
whether o2 is generally correctly identified more often than the other brands. Indeed, 83%
of the test persons identified the brand, which is by far the highest value among the ads tested
(Milka: 67%, Marlboro: 41%, Beck's: 30%). Furthermore, 113 of these 119 test persons also
correctly identified the brand o2, which corresponds to a recognition rate of 95%. In total,
78% of the test participants were thus able to correctly name the brand. Both the total value
and the recognition rate among the test persons who thought they recognized the brand are
thus far ahead of the other brands. Only 25 test persons could not make a connection between
the advertisement and a brand, 6 associated the advertisement with other brands, mainly
from the water industry. The distribution of the 113 participants who correctly identified o2
in relation to the respective feature group can be seen in the following Figure 16.
 52

Identification of "o2"
100.0% 100.0%
100%
90% 82.8%
78.8% 78.3%
80%
70.4%
70%
57.1%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0.0%
0%
Male Female 17 and 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 50 51 - 65 66 and older
younger

Sex Age

Figure 16: Breakdown of test person by prior tested characteristics regarding the identification of o2

As a consequence of the general recognition level of o2, the breakdown by gender and age
also shows a very high level of identification. As expected in advance, approximately equal
proportions of both sexes were able to correctly assign the display to o2. A decrease in
identification is also shown with increasing age. The higher identification rate of minors and
26 - 35-year-olds compared to 18 - 25-year-olds can be explained by the distinctively lower
number of stitches. The same applies to the seniors.

Overall, the experiment shows a strong imbalance in the identification rate of brands based
on classic advertisements between age groups. The same applies to the sexes, as shown in
the following Figure 17.

Avarage Identification Rate

80% 75.0%

70%
61.1%
60% 55.8% 53.6%
50% 43.8%
40.3% 41.9%
36.2% 37.5%
40%
32.1%
30%

20%

10%

00%
Male Female 17 and 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 50 51 - 65 66 and Yes No
younger older

Sex Age Affinity

Figure 17: Breakdown of the average identification rate by different characteristics of the test persons
 53
While on average 56% of men were able to identify the brand, only 40.3% of women were
able to do so. Women also scored worse regarding each tested ad, even though they had a
significantly higher affinity to the advertised industry than the male respondents.
Accordingly, the poorer performance cannot be attributed to a general lack of interest on the
part of the female test subjects in the product world tested. One possible explanation could
be that men may look at advertising media more attentively and therefore build stronger links
in the brain. In general, the overall result also contradicts the test persons' self -assessment of
their advertising affinity, in which male test persons gave themselves an average value of
2.75 on a scale of 1 - 5 and female test persons gave themselves a score of 3.11.

With regard to the age distribution, it can be seen that the Generation Z, the todays 10 – 25-
year-olds (Duncan, 2012), have a highly significantly lower (χ2 = 0.005) identification rate
than the older generations. This could be due to the general advertising consumption
behavior of the generations concerned. The brand perception was tested on the basis of
classical advertisements as used in traditional media such as print media. However, the
traditional media are less and less frequented by the younger generations. These young age
groups can be better reached by using Internet and social media advertising. While the
advertisements shown here focus primarily on the codes Language and Symbolism, products
on social media are increasingly advertised in the form of short videos. This creates a link
from all four codes, Language, Story, Symbolism and Sensory, to the respective brand in the
internal brand network of the younger generation, which is why a single stimulus may not
be sufficient to activate the targeted network. The high identification rate of 26-35-year-olds
could be ascribed to the comparatively low sample size of only 10 test persons. Nevertheless,
this group also estimated itself to have the highest affinity for advertising of all age groups.
However, since all groups scored between 2.86 and 3.1 the advertising affinity in general is
likely to have a rather smaller effect on the performance of each group.

Furthermore, it can be deduced that the affinity of a respondent to the searched product
generally shows an influence on the identification of the respective brand. Overall, the
identification rate of the test persons with a product affinity was merely 42%. On average,
however, only 32% of the test persons without the corresponding affinity recognized the
respective brand. This could be explained by the more active information search for products
and the resulting stronger links between the stimuli used by the brands in the consumer's
brain. Nevertheless, the difference of 10% is mainly due to the significantly higher (χ2 =
0.04) identification rate of Marlboro by smokers. Accordingly, it could be assumed that in
rarely advertised sectors such as tobacco, the influence of an affinity to the general product
 54
has a much greater effect on brand recognition than in frequently advertised sectors such as
chocolate and beer.

Overall, the results of the survey confirm the effectiveness of brand -specific codes.
Especially the case o2 shows the importance of brand -specific codes to contrast the brand
with competing products. The sooner a company creates a unique selling point in marketing,
the easier it is for potential customers to identify the brand. In contrast, if the marketing
scenery is used by several companies, the risk of confusion increases. The effectiveness of
advertising itself could also be demonstrated by the Marlboro brand. While test persons
which started to actively follow advertising after the German ban on tobacco advertising
were not able to identify the Marlboro brand at all or hardly, the identification rate was
significantly higher among test persons who still actively watched Marlboro advertising.

6.2.2.3 Limbic® Types and Limbic® Map

The aim of the third part of the task was to review the theoretical concepts Limbic® Types
and Limbic® Map and to validate the results of the preceding case study. Therefore, the tasks
were divided into 3 parts. The first part refers to the concept of the Limbic® Types, the
second part to the validation of the case study and the effect of the shown commercials on
the test persons in connection with the Limbic® Map and the last part checks a theoretical
correlation of the results of part 1 and 2.

The first two questions were used to categorize the test persons into the Limbic® Types. The
test persons were asked to choose up to 5 terms from a list of 18 values on the Limbic® Map,
which are of utmost importance for their lives. When selecting the terms, care was taken to
map each emotional and motivational system equally frequently. In addition, the test persons
were asked to rank seven terms, each characteristic of one of the seven Limbic® types,
according to their personal importance when buying a product. The results are examined in
more detail in the following.
 55

Frequency of value selection according to influence on

personal lifestyle
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
00%

Balance Fantasy/Pleasure Stimulant Adventure/Thrill Dominance Discipline/Control

Figure 18: Frequency of value selection according to influence on personal lifestyle of the test persons
and allocation of the values into the respective motive systems

The Figure 18 displays the frequency of selection of the different values by the test persons.
Furthermore, it is clarified to which emotion and motif system the respective values can be
assigned. As a result, it is evident that values of the three main systems Balance, Stimulant
and Dominance are highly significantly (t = 0.0002) more important to the test persons than
their three mixed forms, as these were selected much more frequently. Overall, the values of
the Stimulant system are positioned best on average, whereas one value of the Balance
System is of the greatest importance for the test persons. The most important values for the
test persons are family, fun and humor, the least important are thriftiness, fantasy and
impulsiveness. Based on the distribution, it can be concluded that the test persons are likely
to prefer products whose marketing activates the Stimulant and Balance systems. The
insights gained in connection with the findings of the second task, shown in the following
diagram, enable the test persons to be classified as Limbic® Types.
 56

Average rank of the influence of the product features on

the purchase decision

Quality 1.63

Performance 2.85

Innovation 4.13

Low Price 4.56

Family-friendliness 4.57

Habit 4.73

Status Symbol/Brand Name 5.53

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Open-Minded Adventurer Hedonist Disciplined Harmonizer Traditionalist Performer

Figure 19: Average rank of the influence of the product features on the purchase decision of the test
persons

In contrast to the influence of the different values on the lives of the test persons, mainly
influenced by the three main systems, the respondents prioritize motives characteristic of the
Limbic® Types that are assigned to the mixed forms on the Limbic® Map, as can be seen
in Figure 19. The product feature quality, ranked on average at 1.64, clearly leads the
ranking, the brand name or the status associated with the product does not play a decisive
role in the respondents' purchase decisions. Of decisive importance with regard to this task
is above all the fact that test persons rank highest in the three limbic types that show a
decisive influence of the Stimulant system (Open-Minded, Adventurer and Hedonist). This
is consistent with the results of the previous task, in which two aspects of the Stimulant
system were among the top 3. Also, that the ranking is led by the type open-minded, a type
mainly influenced by stimulant and balance system, correlates with the previous result. The
next step was an analysis of the commercials, which were already discussed in the case study,
by the test persons.

Main focus of this section was the mediated effect of previously selected values through the
TV spots. The previous case study and the Limbic® Map were used to select the values.
Again, attention was paid to an equal distribution of the various values across the
motivational and emotional systems. The aim of the test is to check the targeted use of the
codes for the corresponding message with regard to the desired effect using the Limbic®
 57
Map and the subsequent validation of the results of the case study. For this purpose, each
commercial was evaluated by the test subjects using the same values on a scale of 1 - 10,
whereby a value of 1 indicates that the motif viewed is not conveyed at all by the TV spot
and a value of 10 certifies that the motif viewed is in the focus of the commercial. The results
can be seen in the following Figure 20.

Average score of each motive regarding the specific

advertisments
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Radeberger Veltins Beck's Erdinger

6.1.3 Fazit

Figure
Anhand20:
derResulting average
Case Study score
konnte gutofgezeigt
each motive
werden,regarding the specific advertisments
wie unterschiedlich sich, durch den
gezielten Einsatz der Codes, ähnliche Produkte vermarkten lassen und wie diese dadurch eine
The results ofZielgruppensegmentierung
differenzierte the survey correlate withaufzeigen.
the findings
Auchof
diethe case study
allgemeine and thevon
Bedeutung positioning of
Codes für die Wirkung von Werbespots
the beer brand on the Limbic® Map, which can be seen in Figure 21.

Figure 21: Postioning of Radeberger, Veltins, Beck's and Erdinger based on the case study (own
compilation based on Wahid, 2019)
 58
In its commercial, Radeberger conveys values associated with the Balance System and the
mixed form of Discipline/Control - reliability, tradition and quality. These motif worlds are
associated with the Limbic® Types Disciplined and Traditionalist. The Radeberger spot also
focuses on these motifs much more concisely than the competing brands, which have a lower
average value in this area. The borderline motifs of the motif system targeted by Radeberger,
pride and enjoyment, also show very high average ratings, each only surpassed by the brand
that specializes in the respective motif system as its core motif. In the opinion of the test
subjects, Veltins positions itself in the motif system of Dominance and appeals above all to
the Limbic® Type Performer through the motifs chosen. Accordingly, Veltins has the
highest average scores of all the brands examined for the motifs fight and pride, while
scoring lowest of regarding the opposite motif, cordiality. The Beck's brand dominates those
motifs that show a high influence of the Stimulant system. In the associated motifs Freedom,
Spontaneity, Adventure and Friendship, the corresponding commercial is rated higher than
the competitors. These motifs appeal above all to the Limbic® Types Hedonist and
Adventurer. The least focus of the Beck's spot is the opposite values of tradition, quality and
reliability. Erdinger's spot focuses on the motifs of the Balance system and the mixed form
of Fantasy/Pleasure, which primarily appeal to the Limbic® Types Open-Minded and
Harmonizer.

In the final task, the probands were first asked to name the commercial that appealed to them
most personally. Then they were asked to indicate their general favorite beer brand. In
addition to the four beer brands examined, the test persons had the choice of either not having
a favorite beer brand or of indicating another beer brand as their favorite. In accordance with
the previous analysis, the valid hypothesis can be stated that a large proportion of the test
persons can be assigned to the Limbic® type associated with the Stimulant system according
to the theorem of the Limbic® Map and the Limbic® Type, with a strong tendency towards
the Balance System. If the theoretical principles can be transferred to reality, the final part
of the survey should show a strong preference for the Beck's commercial, followed by the
Erdinger commercial. With their previously determined choice of motifs, these brands
primarily appeal to the motif systems Stimulant and Balance and the associated Limbic®
types. The results can be seen in the following Figure 22.
 59

Favorite Commercial

9.7%

26.4% 11.8%

52.1%

Radeberger Veltins Beck's Erdinger

Figure 22: Favored commercial by the test persons

The evaluation of the question shows that 75 of the 144 test persons considered the Beck's
commercial to be the most appealing for them personally. 38 subjects preferred Erdinger, 17
Veltins and 14 Radeberger. About half of the participants favored the Beck's ad, another
quarter of the test persons favored Erdinger's ad. This result correlates with the previous
findings, which showed that a large proportion of the probands are controlled mainly by the
Stimulant and Balance System. The hypothesis derived therefrom, that a majority of the test
persons should prefer the Beck's commercial followed by Erdinger, is verified by the present
result.

The analysis of the result broken down by age and gender is also similar to the overall result.
Half of the men and women each, as well as most age groups, prefer the Beck's Spot and a
quarter prefer the Erdinger Spot. Veltins is favored by a higher proportion of women (14%)
than men (8%), while the opposite is the case for Radeberger (15% men vs. 7% women).
Only the group of 26 - 35-year-olds shows deviations, as no respondent of this age prefers
Beck's, but 50% chose Radeberger. 30% preferred the Erdinger spot and 20% the Veltins
spot. This may be mainly due to the small number of stitches of only 10 persons.
Furthermore, with a share of 60%, an above-average number of men belong to this age group,
who are specifically addressed by the Radeberger spot. In this age group, many people are
founding their own family, having their first job and working to build up financial security
for themselves and their family. This phase of life thus runs completely counter to the spirit
 60
of adventure and partying with friends that Beck's advertises. Correspondingly, more test
persons seem to be attracted by the Radeberger spot, which accompanies a man on his way
from child to successful man and symbolizes the hard work invested in a Radeberger.

The additional question about the respondent's favorite beer brand also showed that the
survey was not distorted by the fact that most respondents generally prefer Beck's. 48.6% of
the participants stated that they did not have a favorite beer brand and a further 34.7% named
a different beer brand than the ones investigated. A total of 34 different brands were stated
by the 50 test persons. 7.6% of the test persons favor Beck's, 6.3% Erdinger and 1.4% each
Veltins or Radeberger.

However, with another distribution of the test persons, e.g. a changed gender balance with
more men than women, the results could have seemed different with the majority possibly
favoring Veltins and Radeberger instead of Beck’s and Erdinger. Therefor, the prior analysis
of the test persons could have potentially shown different outcomes about their
corresponding Limbic® Types and thus, the hypothesis about the favored commercial would
have changed in regard to these other respondents. This demonstrates the validity of the
results is only given for this respective survey and test person distribution as there could be
several reasons for the choices made by the probands. Accordingly, the survey is not
representative for Germany, but could be seen as an indication for the possible and successful
implementation of the neuroscientific methods within marketing and the German market.

6.2.3 Conclusion

Overall, the survey confirms the effectiveness of the theoretical foundations of Code
Management, the Limbic® Map and the Limbic® Types. On the one hand, it shows the
importance of good code management and the resulting unique selling propositions in
advertisements to contrast competitors and, on the other hand, how brands can use their
codes successfully to convey the desired motifs and values in their spots and address the
desired target group. Age could be identified as a decisive factor in neuromarketing.
Depending on age, media use differs tremendously, which means that different people are
reached by different advertising methods adapted to the medium, and thus the brand
networks are composed differently. This was particularly evident in the example of
Generation Z, who scored significantly worse than the older generations in brand recognition
based on a classic advertisement. The survey also verified the theoretical concept of pilot
and autopilot, which showed the unimportance of a preference for a certain product in the
 61
context of recognizing a brand of the industry concerned. Through the mainly subconscious
perception of information, people register the codes of advertisements, even if they do not
show an active interest in the advertisement, brand or product. Only in industries where
active advertising is prohibited it is of significant benefit if a person shows an affinity for
the product. Furthermore, the example of Marlboro demonstrated the generally high
relevance of advertising and marketing for brand recognition as well as for the neurological
brand network. Without active marketing, consumers are much less able to recognize the
company's codes than people who experience active marketing of the company's products.
In addition, the connection between Limbic® Map and Limbic® Types could be clarified as
well as their potential use in the segmentation of target groups and the screening for potential
new customers.

In the upcoming section the application possibilities of neuromarketing for strategic brand
management are presented. The duality of theory and empiric, consisting of case study and
survey, provides insights from the perspective of companies and customers and allows a
deep insight into neurological marketing concepts and gives conclusions for the strategic
implementation in brand management.
 62

7 Possible applications of neuromarketing in strategic brand

management
The following section focuses on the summary of important application possibilities of the
knowledge gained about the methods and theoretical principles of neuromarketing for
strategic brand management. For classification purposes, the areas of brand management,
product management and brand communication will be examined more in detail.

Potential fields of application in brand management arise above all in brand positioning and
brand architecture. In the present work it has been demonstrated that the values that
consumers associate with a brand can be assigned to specific areas and systems in the brain.
Accordingly, the brand in turn occupies positions in these areas in the consumer's brain,
which can be localized with the help of imaging techniques and concepts such as the
Limbic® Map. This knowledge allows brand management to identify values associated with
the brand and important for customers, to segment the target groups precisely and to adapt
this information in product features and advertising measures. In addition, repositioning
strategies can also be identified via the brand -specific activation patterns in the brain and
thus possible chances of success of a repositioning can be evaluated in advance. This enables
brand managers to better adapt their own strategy to the ideas and circumstances of
consumers and the market. The same principle could also be used to analyze competitor
brands, whereby the results could be used to better contrast one's own brand. In addition, the
imaging techniques could also be used to evaluate and adapt the own brand architecture. If
a company is considering the launch of a new brand or a new product under the name of an
existing brand, it is possible to test neuro-economically, even before the launch, whether the
already familiar values of the existing brand can be transferred to the new product and thus
generate similar neural activities in the consumer. The more matches the neuronal activities
of the two brands or products show, the greater the transfer potential. This enables brand
managers to plan more reliably when implementing the strategy and to better assess the
chances of success of the launch than is possible with conventional market research methods.
(Felix, 2008, pp. 76-77)

The imaging techniques could also be used in the product management for the development
of new products and the implementation of product variations. Before market launch, test
persons can be provided with prototypes of the product while measuring their brain activity
during the test. With the help of fMRI, such brain centers could then be localized, which
for example lead to cortical relief. If the desired neuronal effects occur, step-by-step
 63
improvements in product design can be initiated in order to successfully launch the product
on the market. The same principle could be applied to the design of product variation. In
order to adapt the product to changing consumer needs or new market conditions, basic
elements of the product are retained, and certain properties are adjusted, involving test
persons under neuroeconomic conditions, until the desired effect is generated in the brains
of the probands. (Felix, 2008, p. 77)

In the context of brand communication, the findings of neuromarketing could be applied

above all in advertising effectiveness control. With the help of neuroeconomic methods,
design elements of advertising measures and their influence on, for example, brand
preference and memory effects can be examined. As has been shown in this thesis, economic
success correlates strongly with the emotional impact of a brand and the processes of
information absorption, processing and storage triggered by it. The better the communicated
brand content is perceived and stored in the consumer's memory, the greater the chances of
success for the brand. If the brands are linked to emotions, it is easier to activate the relevant
neuronal network in the consumer by communicating less specific stimuli. To emotionalize
a brand, good code management is required above all. If consumer senses are stimulated by
the codes in the advertising measures, brand perception and brand storage in the brain can
be linked and potentiated and the stimulation of one sense is sufficient to activate the entire
neural network. Above all, the survey conducted in the frame of this thesis has shown the
great importance of advertising for brand perception as well as the achievement of the
desired target groups and the associated challenges for brand managers to implement
appropriate advertising measures according to the brand -relevant target groups. (Felix, 2008,
p. 78)
 64

8 Conclusion
After summarizing the most important aspects of neuromarketing with regard s to its
application in brand management, this concluding chapter includes a critical examination of
the present bachelor’s thesis as well as a reflection on the course of work processes and the
achievement of objectives. The theoretical part as well as the empirical part is considered.

8.1 Critical review

Overall, the bachelor’s thesis can be considered a success. However, the comparison
between the initial plans of the thesis and the final structure shows some changes. The initial
plan of a focus on the entire neuroeconomics and the implementation of an international
survey to identify and differentiate region-specific consumer habits yielded to a focus on
neuromarketing in combination with brand management after a thorough literature analysis.
This change was mainly driven by the initially underestimated scope of the field of
neuroeconomics.

The main obstacle in working on the theoretical section was the literature research. Since the
total number of valid sources in this young field is still very limited in comparison to other
fields, the thesis is based on a few, but fundamental textbooks on neuromarketing, which are
mostly written by German scientists in German and are therefore not available in Finland.
This required the use of e-books in particular. However, it turned out that the university
libraries for the majority of books only offer older editions of the textbooks in e-book format
and the newer editions are only available as bound editions on site. As a result, the theory
presented in this paper is based primarily on an older state of research. Although the
reliability of the work was checked to ensure that the content reproduced is still relevant, it
cannot be ruled out that in such a fast moving and lively field of science as neuroeconomics
and neuromarketing, insights have already been gained which revise or supplement aspects
of this work. Nevertheless, all statements are based on well-founded sources from respected
scientists, which ensures the validity of the thesis.

The methods and concepts presented in the theoretical part of this thesis are often
controversially discussed. One accusation, which is also generally directed against
marketing, is that brand advertising manipulates the consumer on an unconscious level and
thus creates new needs. Furthermore, neuroscientific research is claimed to transform the
human being into a transparent consumer. In addition, the concepts of neuromarketing such
as the Limbic® Map are considered too generalized. However, it is precisely the
 65
neuroscientific findings discovered that human motives are biologically predetermined. In
this respect, marketing does not create artificial needs, but rather shows different ways of
satisfying these needs. In addition, a specific knowledge of the preferences of consumers
contribute to the development of products adapted to their demands. Nevertheless, since the
exact thoughts of the probands cannot be visualized by the imaging techniques either, it is
incorrect to speak of transparent consumers in this context. The accusation of generalization
in connection with the concepts of neuromarketing cannot be completely refuted. (Felix,
2008, pp. 81-82) Although very generalized, concepts as Limbic® Map and Limbic® Types
are mostly determined based on an expert assessment by qualified psychologists as well as
scientists and then empirically validated conducting a quantitative analyses of test subjects.
This provides a generally valid level, which in practice can be adapted to individual needs
due to their intentionally universal nature. This enables the concepts to be easily adapted to
diverse circumstances such as different industries or cultures. (Häusel & Gruppe
Nymphenburg, 2020)

The main difficulty of the empirical part was the structure design and the acquisition of test
persons. While initially the implementation of a qualitative expert interview was considered,
it appeared to be difficult to contact corresponding experts successfully. Therefore, a
qualitative case study on the application of the theoretical concepts was implemented
instead. This proved to be a decisive and important component, especially for the
implementation of the quantitative survey, as the case study provided a deeper understanding
of the theory and could be taken up by the survey. Thus, the two empirical parts acted as
mutual validation of the results. In retrospect, the implementation of the survey proved to be
successful. The questions and task types were well chosen and delivered satisfactory results.
The relevance of the theoretical concepts could also be substantiated by the results of the
individual tasks. A satisfactory number of participants could have been acquired, but the
results can of course only be considered as indications for the German-speaking market and
not as representative. In view of the comparatively high drop-out rate, there is a need for
optimization of the survey. Although no exact time of termination can be identified, the
evaluation of the commercials can be assumed to be the main reason for termination, since
this task is by far the most complex and time-consuming. Nevertheless, there is no alternative
to validating the case study and this task could only have been simplified by adjusting the
rating scale, for example with a scale of 1-5 instead of 1-10. However, this could have
resulted in a much less differentiated outcome. With regard to the distribution of test persons,
a more even age distribution would have been desirable. This would have enabled a higher
 66
representativeness of the results, as the findings for age groups with a comparatively low
number of stitches could not be considered meaningful. Overall, however, the survey
produced gratifying results, and thus, in conjunction with the case study, the empirical part
can also be regarded as successful and satisfactory.

8.2 Reflection

The main objective of this bachelor’s thesis was to gain knowledge about the theoretical
background and concepts of a modern economic research area and to generate insights into
the decisive factors of brand perception. Both objectives were implemented very
satisfactorily throughout the thesis and all in-depth research questions could be answered.
Especially due to the fact that a completely new topic had been developed without any
decisive previous university education, a fundamental literature research was carried out,
which made it possible to generate in-depth knowledge on the topic of neuromarketing.
These insights are in turn applicable in later professional life.

The second objective, the acquisition of new skills, was also achieved in a highly satisfactory
manner. The knowledge and skills of developing, implementing and statistically evaluating
a case study and a survey, as well as the scientific writing of articles and in-depth literature
research of relevant sources will be of particular use on the further academic path and will
also be applied in later professional life.

Altogether, the result of this bachelor's thesis can be regarded as very positive. By answering
the research questions, the fields of neuromarketing and brand management could be linked
to each other and the purpose of the thesis, to present the benefits of neuroscientific
marketing concepts for brand management, could be fulfilled. Furthermore, all research
questions could be answered, and all detailed objectives were achieved. The presented
neuroscientific basics and concepts showed the relevance of the modern research field of
neuromarketing and led to the illumination of the great influence of the human brain,
emotions and feelings on the perception of brands. Thus, the paper demonstrates what big
companies like Coca-Cola and Walter Landor realized a long time ago: Products are created
in a factory, but the perception and image of the products and the brands are created solely
in the minds of the consumers.
 67

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Appendices
Appendix A: Original survey
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Appendix B: Transcription of the survey

1. Sex:

Male / Female / No specification

2. Age:

17 and younger / 18-25 / 26-35 / 36-50 / 51-65 / 66 and older

3. Profession:

Pupil / Trainee / Student / Professional / Pensioner / Job Seeking

4. Do you have children?

Yes / No

5. Do you smoke?

Yes / No

6. Do you regularly eat chocolate?

Yes / No

7. Do you regularly consume alcohol?

Yes / No

8. Do you like beer?

Yes / No

9. How affectionate are you to advertising?

(not at all advertising oriented) 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 (highly advertising oriented)

10. Can you identify this brand?

No / Yes, it is:
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11. Can you identify this brand?

No / Yes, it is:

12. Can you identify this brand?

No / Yes, it is:

13. Can you identify this brand?

No / Yes, it is:

14. Which of the following values and terms are most important for your life?

Choose up to 5 answers:

Tradition / Family / Pleasure / Fantasy / Humor / Creativity / Fun / Courage / Success

/ Ambition / Discipline / Thriftiness / Order / Reliability / Individuality / Freedom /
Spontaneity / Risk appetite

15. How important are the following product features for your buying decisions?

Change the order of the items according to your preferences. (the first - the most
important, the last - the least important):

Family-friendliness / Quality / Low price / Performance / Known brand name or

Status symbol / Habit / Innovation

16. To what extent are the following motives in the focus of the TV commercial?

Select a score on a scale from 1 ("Not in focus at all") to 10 ("In focus completely")
for each motive:

Pleasure / Ease / Cordiality / Friendship / Adventure / Spontaneity / Freedom /

Rebellion / Victory / Pride / Reliability / Tradition / Quality
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17. To what extent are the following motives in the focus of the TV commercial?

Select a score on a scale from 1 ("Not in focus at all") to 10 ("In focus completely")
for each motive:

Pleasure / Ease / Cordiality / Friendship / Ad venture / Spontaneity / Freedom /

Rebellion / Victory / Pride / Reliability / Tradition / Quality

18. To what extent are the following motives in the focus of the TV commercial?

Select a score on a scale from 1 ("Not in focus at all") to 10 ("In focus completely")
for each motive:

Pleasure / Ease / Cordiality / Friendship / Adventure / Spontaneity / Freedom /

Rebellion / Victory / Pride / Reliability / Tradition / Quality

19. To what extent are the following motives in the focus of the TV commercial?

Select a score on a scale from 1 ("Not in focus at all") to 10 ("In focus completely")
for each motive:

Pleasure / Ease / Cordiality / Friendship / Adventure / Spontaneity / Freedom /

Rebellion / Victory / Pride / Reliability / Tradition / Quality

20. Which commercial appealed to you the most?

Radeberger / Veltins / Beck’s / Erdinger

21. Which is your favorite beer brand?

Radeberger / Veltins / Beck’s / Erdinger / Another beer brand: / I have no favored

beer brand
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Appendix C: Exemplary calculations of significance tests via Excel

1. Chi-Square-Test:
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2. T-Test:
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